


Anywhere You Want

by thecarlonethatalsowrites



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Avatar & Benders Setting, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, Slow Burn, i cannot stress enough, its going to be a long one
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-01 16:35:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 60,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23620180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thecarlonethatalsowrites/pseuds/thecarlonethatalsowrites
Summary: The world's gone a hundred years without an Avatar, and life for Ruby and Yang is normal as can be. Living in an isolated colony, they don't feel the effects of a war-torn world. At least, not until they find a girl trapped in ice who turns out to be the long lost Avatar. Helping her fulfill her destiny means becoming fugitives from their own nation, but with the balance of the world at stake it's a small price to pay.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long
Comments: 135
Kudos: 252





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first published RWBY fic. Oh boy, has this fandom sucked me in. I hope I can do it and the amazing world of Avatar justice. This is going to be a HUGE project, so buckle in for a long ride.
> 
> Special thanks to @letsseethroughdaphneblue for helping me run wild with this idea!

The sun hadn’t even risen yet when Yang was violently awoken by a weight on her stomach that drove the air from her lungs. She spluttered, thrashing against the weight and her tangled blankets. Unable to take a deep breath, she couldn’t summon any fire to ward off her attacker. Her fists flailed in choppy bending forms out of instinct. Someone grabbed her shoulders and pinned her to the bed. Yang’s vision was suddenly filled with silver eyes as her sister came close enough to touch noses.

“Wake up, sleepyhead,” Ruby whispered. “But be quiet. Dad’ll be mad if we wake him up on accident.” Yang groaned, her panic subsiding. Leveraging herself against the bed, she threw Ruby off of her.

“You’re getting too big to wake me up like that,” she groaned. Her stomach was sore where Ruby had kneeled on it. 

“How else am I supposed to do it then?” Yang rubbed her eyes and yawned.

“Like a normal person. At a normal time, too.”

“But then we’d waste half the morning!” Ruby complained. “And we need to get out before the tide rises or we’ll never be able to find the cruiser.” Yang’s vision focused enough to take in Ruby standing in her room. Her sister was already dressed and geared up for the adventure they planned. Thick glass goggles hung around her neck, and she had another pair at her belt for Yang. “This is the first day in  _ forever _ you don’t have to work at the store. I want to do as much as we can.”

“You know I always keep my promises, Ruby.” Yang swung herself out of bed, stretching sleep from her limbs. “Don’t worry. By the time the sun goes down, that cruiser will be  _ thoroughly  _ explored.

She got dressed, leaving off her bright yellow and red everyday clothes in favor of plainclothes she didn’t mind getting dirty. She followed a practically vibrating Ruby downstairs. It would have been a miracle if it took Ruby more than ten steps to get from Yang’s room to the front door. She’d always stepped lightly for an earthbender. Yang shared the silent suspicion with their father; it was the part of the reason her bending was so weak. It didn’t come naturally to her.

Yang grabbed a handful of lychee nuts for breakfast on the go while Ruby spurred her to move faster the whole time, despite her earlier warnings to keep quiet. They left the house with the sun barely clearing the horizon. Yang breathed deeply through her nose, letting the rays fuel her inner blaze. Mornings were her favorite time of day, just like many firebenders. 

“And my friend Penny said the cruiser was fighting off two dozen Earth Kingdom ships when it went down. There were earthbending soldiers that blew holes in the hull. Some of them sent a boulder as big as a house at the cruiser,” Ruby said, telling Yang the story for the hundredth time as they headed toward the river. 

Most of the village was still asleep with shuttered windows, aside from a few other firebenders woken by the sun. Yang bowed her head to the adults in greeting. They may have been a colony, but in The Fire Nation, everyone knew where respect was due. There was nowhere else in the Earth Kingdom like this. The buildings were distinct; with three pagodas lording over the very center of the village. Lanterns were strung across the road overhead, lighting their way. Yang had never seen a real Fire Nation city, but some of the village elders said Patch was almost as good as the motherland.

“They must have been pretty powerful,” Yang said, humoring her sister. She had no doubt the tale was exaggerated. The first time she told it, there had only been three Earth Kingdom ships, and there had been several weeks for the story to grow out of control. The story of  _ how _ it wrecked didn’t matter. Yang only cared that it did.

“To take out a Fire Nation warship like that? Absolutely. Probably not as powerful as Dad, but there’s a reason we don’t have many colonies on the mainland.” 

For as deeply Fire Nation as their village was, Tai still commanded great respect despite growing up in The Earth Kingdom. He and Ruby were the only earthbenders in the village, though Ruby’s skills were still in the developing stage. Yang had an easier time fitting in – since she was a firebender people tended to forget she was only half Fire Nation – but their little family found a life here all the same. It served to prove how great The Fire Nation really was. 

They reached their boat and Ruby hopped up on the deck. She started stowing the oars and sails more securely. The last ones to take out the boat were Ruby and Tai, but Yang had no need for those. There was a small steam-powered engine on board. For a short trip like this, they wouldn’t even need coal. 

Ruby steered while Yang hardly broke a sweat powering them upriver. The autumn morning was cold, it wouldn’t be long before winter was upon them. Exerting herself by firebending helped warm her up. It wasn’t a long trip upriver, and soon enough they sailed out into deeper water where cruisers could patrol. The boat was easier to propel without having to fight a current, and it bobbed in the larger waves. Yang kept a close eye on Ruby to make sure she was firmly seated at the stern. The last thing they needed was for her to go overboard before they were ready.

“There it is!” Ruby shot to her feet, rocking the boat precariously. She pointed to an odd gray point sticking out of the water about a hundred yards offshore. Yang pushed her back into her seat by the shoulder.

“Keep us steady, captain,” Yang said. “We’ll get as close as we can before we drop anchor, alright?”

All of Ruby’s concentration went into maneuvering them into the perfect position, careful to avoid scraping their hull against any ragged metal hidden by the waves. It was odd for such a large ship to be so close to shore. Yang guessed the crew ran it aground so they could escape easier onto land. She remembered the waterlogged soldiers sloshing into the village the day of the battle.  _ That _ had been a sight to behold.

The part of the ship Ruby spotted turned out to be the curved tip of the bow. Yang dropped anchor when they were nearly close enough to touch it, letting the rope run through her hands so as not to get tangled. She gave it a few tugs to make sure it was secure. The last thing they needed was to lose their boat and have to schlep home like those soldiers. She shivered, thinking of Tai’s fury if they returned without the boat.

“Goggles, please.” Yang held out a hand for Ruby’s extra pair. She fit them over her head, adjusting the strap so they fit tightly against her face. The glass blurred her vision, but it was better than getting salt in her eyes. Ruby did the same. “Let me go down for a preliminary dive first, just to check it out. When I come back, you can join me.”

“This would be so much easier if we had a waterbender,” Ruby complained.

“Would it be fun, though?” Yang asked. She stood up and jumped into the water, bracing herself for the chill. She bobbed to the surface, clenching her teeth to keep them from chattering.

“Yes! Imagine how cool it would be to float down in our own pocket of air. We could stay down as long as we liked.”

“Ruby, I hate to break it to you, but I don’t think there are many waterbenders around these parts.”

“Why not?” Ruby asked. “We live in a Fire Nation colony in the far north of the Earth Kingdom. It  _ could  _ happen. The Northern Water Tribe is practically right there.”

“They’re a whole ocean away,” Yang said, treading water. She didn’t want to hang onto their boat in case she unbalanced it.

“An ocean that would be no problem for a waterbender.” Yang rolled her eyes.

“I’m going to dive before my ears freeze off, ok?” She didn’t wait for Ruby’s response before ducking under the water. 

The wreck was an eerie shadow, already starting to be reclaimed by the ocean after just a few weeks. It rested on an incline with the stern dipping into deeper water. Yang resisted the urge to summon a flame to shed light. It would be immediately smothered by the ocean. She swam down to the ship, scooping the water with her hands and kicking hard with her feet. 

The ship wasn’t that far below the surface and Yang reached it in just a few strokes. She dragged herself deeper using the hull, kicking it every so often to make sure the wreck wouldn’t tip lower or slide deeper into the ocean. She explored until her lungs started to burn, straining her eyes to see if there was anyone who didn’t make it out. Ruby was only twelve. There might have been a war going on, but she didn’t need to see any of that. Yang didn’t want to see it either, but she’d gladly put herself forward to protect Ruby.

Yang pushed off the wreck toward the surface when her lungs were screaming at her. She burst out of the water with a gasp, swiping her bangs out of her eyes. The chill nearly froze the air in her lungs. She spat out a tiny flame to warm herself up, instinctively letting the heat spread through her body. The water steamed as she did, only cooling once she swam back to the boat. Why Ruby wanted to do this was beyond her. The wreck was interesting, but it was almost too cold to be swimming. She’d be keeping a close eye out for signs of hypothermia in her sister. 

“It’s all clear,” Yang said. Ruby squealed with excitement and dove into the water, sending a wave crashing over Yang. She spat saltwater out of her mouth.

“Cold!” Ruby yelled when she resurfaced.

“Of course it’s cold. What were you expecting?” Ruby grinned.

“It to be cold. Come on. You didn’t go too far, did you? Saved some stuff for me?”

“It’s your mission, obviously I did. Come on, let’s check out the port side. I bet if we’re quiet we might find some cool animals.”

She followed Ruby’s lead on the second dive, sticking close in case something went wrong. Ruby was a strong swimmer, fueled by enthusiasm. She took her time going over the wreck, swimming through a hole in the hull to check out the inside. Yang kept an eye on her through the hole, feeling too unnerved to follow. 

Ruby poked her head out from a gap slightly further down from the one she went in. Yang saw her grin and wave. She returned it before bubbles churned from Ruby’s mouth and her expression turned into one of surprise. Yang’s chest tightened with fear of how much air she just lost. Ruby started kicking toward the surface and Yang made to help her.

Ruby coughed once they broke the surface and leaned back to float so she wouldn’t have to tread water.

“What happened?” Yang asked, watching Ruby’s chest heave. She dreaded the answer. Ruby turned her head to look at Yang.

“There was  _ something _ down there,” Ruby said. “Something weird.”

“Well yeah, Rubes. We’re exploring a shipwreck.”

“Not the  _ wreck _ , dummy! There was something else in deeper water.” Ruby’s eyes shone. “I want to check it out.”

Yang hesitated, emotions warring within her. On one hand, her instinct to protect Ruby said they should swim back to the boat and book it out of here. On the other, curiosity raged. Ruby had good instincts for interesting finds. It was why Yang accompanied her on this dive in the first place.

“Alright. But you let me go first. And you swim to the surface if anything weird happens, got it?”

“On my honor.” Ruby gave a salute and let her legs sink so she was vertical in the water. “It was over here a bit.”

They swam to where Ruby remembered seeing whatever it was. She ducked her face into the water to catch another glimpse, coming up excited every time. They were getting further and further from the boat, which made Yang’s nerves sing in her ears. She ignored them, curiosity too strong.

“We’re right above it,” Ruby said. Yang put her face in the water, squinting to see what they were going to dive for. Her eyes widened when she saw a faint blue glow deep in the water.

She lifted her head. “Woah, good find! I can’t believe you saw that.”

“What can I say? I’m incredibly gifted,” Ruby said. “Now get down there. I want to see what it is.”

Yang took a deep breath of cold air. Her lungs protested, but she ignored them and dove. She swam hard. The glow was far beneath the surface, and she wanted to have plenty of air to check it out. Ruby stayed just behind her and to the left, following directions for once to Yang’s relief. The thing grew into an enormous blob as she swam toward it. The water got colder the closer she came, and with the goggles, her vision was too warped to make out what it was until she was practically on top of it.

Her hand touched the slick, freezing exterior. She choked back a gasp. It was ice! As far north as they were, ice wasn’t uncommon. But it was far too early in the year for it. And the strange glow…

Yang swam deeper, trying to get a better look at what was causing the light. It was deep within the ice. She got about halfway down the iceberg when she gasped and lost her air. Someone was  _ looking  _ at her from inside the ice. She clawed to the surface, motioning Ruby upward.

“There’s a body in the ice!” Yang gasped when they breached.

“Really? Cool! It must be really well preserved.”

“I didn’t think they were dead,” Yang said, remembering the glowing eyes that stared at her. And the arrow on her forehead that also glowed. She’d never seen anything like it

“No way. No one could survive frozen in an iceberg. Could they?”

“Stranger things have happened,” Yang said. “You go get the boat. I’m going to try to get them out of there.” She waited for Ruby to swim off before diving back down.

This time, she didn’t hesitate and swam to the place where she could see the body. Their outline was blurred by the ice, but they were still looking outward. Upon closer inspection, Yang noticed a large animal curled within the ice as well, the likes of which she’d never seen before. Concentrating, she pressed her palms to the ice and slowly had them heat up. Her hands glowed and bubbles rose from the melting ice. 

She was nearly up to her elbows when a great bubble of air blasted out from the ice. It shattered into pieces. Yang wrapped her arms around her head to protect it. The glow brightened until Yang was blind. She squinted, trying to see what happened. She was buffeted by a current as the large creature made for the surface in a flail of limbs. Yang searched for the person.

There! Floating facedown a short distance away. Her short dark hair and loose yellow robes floated around her. Yang kicked toward her and wrapped an arm around her chest under her arms. With her free hand, she swam them both to the surface.

She was nearly out of breath by the time they reached the air. Yang panted as she treaded water hard to keep them both afloat. She pulled her goggles down to hang around her neck to get a better look at the stranger. Her eyes were closed, her lips bloodless. But there was faint steam coming from her nose. She was breathing, at the very least.

“What in the world is  _ that _ ?” Ruby screamed. 

Yang whipped her head around to see what she was talking about and paled instantly. Rising out of the water above her was the most massive head she’d ever seen. Its white fur was soaked and dark, beady eyes stared at her from beneath two sharp horns. It opened its mouth – easily large enough for Yang to stand inside of – and let out a roar. The wind from it blasted Yang backward. She barely managed to hang onto the girl as they skipped across the water toward shore.

Gasping for breath, Yang stood in knee-deep water. The strange girl floated on her back without any help, so Yang watched terrified as Ruby paddled toward the beast that was almost too large to take in in its entirety. Her heart in her throat made it difficult to breathe. The beast had no interest in Ruby, and instead, it leaped out of the water toward Yang and the stranger. The waves it caused made Ruby nearly capsize. Yang fell into a defensive stance, readying herself for a fight. She was shaking from fear and cold, though she barely felt the latter.

The beast skidded to a halt mere feet from Yang, spraying her with freezing water. It grumbled softly, nosing through the water toward the girl it was trapped with. It picked her up gently, flat teeth clamping into the front of her robes, and lifted her onto dry land. Snuffling and grunting in distress, it hovered over her, blasting her with gusts of air from its nose. The girl did not move.

Yang fell out of her defensive stance when she realized the creature was concerned over the girl. Its large, flat tail slapped against the water in agitation as it tried to revive her. Yang approached slowly, making sure she stayed where the creature could see her. It could probably trample her without even trying. It turned its head to her as she reached the shore and growled, showing flat teeth the size of Yang’s head.

“It’s ok. I want to help,” she said, hoping to soothe the beast. She held out her palms and moved as fluidly as she could.

The growl did not subside, but the monster allowed her to approach. The girl was basically dry from the great amount of air her beast blew on her, but she was cold and limp. Her skin was nearly the same color as the blue arrows tattooed on her forehead and backs of her hands. Yang had never seen anything like it, but she focused on her neck, searching for a pulse. It was weak and fluttering, but there.

“Yang, what’s going on?” She glanced over her shoulder to find Ruby hauling their skiff onto the beach. She scrambled over to them, slipping in the sand and only slightly apprehensive of the enormous monster hovering over them. “There was a huge beam of light that blasted out of the water. We definitely didn’t go down there with them, so where did you find a girl and a giant bison?”

“She’s alive,” Yang said. “We have to get her warm. See if you can find some wood.” Ruby dashed off immediately and Yang turned to the stranger. “Hang in there. Please, hang in there.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone thank @softlight and @blake-belladonna-defense-force for this update. They pressured me into throwing my posting schedule out the window. Hope you enjoy

As Blake slowly became aware of her surroundings, it was her sense of touch that came back first. Sensation trickled in and she felt every inch of her skin prickle with goosebumps. Opening her eyes was too monumental a task, but the longer she was conscious the more precisely she could feel the coarse sand she lay upon, the cold air at her back. There was a source of heat in front of her, and she shivered into a tighter ball, trying to get close to the warmth. She focused on steadying her breathing, and slowly her ears unsealed.

“It’s still freezing. You can’t make it any warmer?” The voice was shrill and young. Probably a girl’s.

“I’m doing my best not to boil us alive,” the reply came through gritted teeth. The cold air at Blake’s back warmed as she heard someone take several focusing breaths.

“If  _ I’m _ cold, imagine how  _ she  _ must be feeling?” The shrill voice said. Blake tensed. She was feeling pretty awful, but she didn’t want the two people to know that. She didn’t know who they were or if she was in danger. She flexed her aching muscles, trying to get her body to respond enough to roll onto her back.

“Easy now,” said the second voice. A hand rested on Blake’s shoulder, holding her in place. She was too weak to fight it, especially when she felt something large settle against her back to block out the cold. She whimpered and stiffly reached back. Her hand found soft fur and she melted into the familiarity. Gambol. She was alright.

“She’s awake!” Blake felt movement near her feet as someone shifted next to her. “What’s your name? Where’d you come from? How did you get in the ice?”

“Ruby,” the other voice chastised. “We just pulled her out of an iceberg. Give her a minute to come to her senses.”

“An...iceberg?” Blake asked. Her voice was grating to her own ears, and she had to force her throat to make any sound at all. Her memories flicked back one by one. The storm, her fear, the power at her fingertips. A spike of adrenaline came with them, and she peeled open her eyes to take in her surroundings.

The first thing she saw was a pair of concerned, lavender eyes. They were wide, framed by long, damp yellow hair that was drying in tangles. Freckles dotted her cheeks, and the corners of her mouth were downturned in the prettiest frown Blake had ever seen. The girl was dressed in a simple brown tunic, devoid of livery to give Blake any clues as to where she was. She couldn’t even tell what nation she was in, let alone any specific location.

“Oh,” she breathed. A shiver wracked through her, not just from the cold.

“Are you still cold? That’s a dumb question. Here, let’s build up the fire a bit. It’s easier than warming the air.” The girl reached over for another log and tossed it onto the flaming pile of driftwood that was warming Blake’s front. She breathed carefully through her nose and the flames shot up far more than they would have under natural circumstances. Blake shivered again, though this time it was far from pleasant.

She was found by firebenders. This wasn’t good. She sealed her ears to screams echoing from the past and forced herself to sit up. She felt rather than heart Gambol’s comforting rumble as she leaned against the sky bison to stay upright. She was too weak to manage even that on her own.

There were two others around the makeshift fire. One was the blonde firebender that looked to be about Blake’s age. The other was younger by a few years, staring at her with wide silver eyes. Her dark hair was spiked with dried salt and lightened to a reddish hue near the tips. Blake spotted a small boat dragged up the beach. Likely, they were the only two around. Her strength was returning. Things were less bleak as she studied her surroundings. She and Gambol could take them once she was able to stand. The younger one hadn’t displayed any bending talent thus far, but Blake could sense true power in the firebender. She had to be strong to exercise such control so as to heat the air itself.

“Where am I?” She asked, thinking that was a good starting place. Her voice was rusty and her throat ached with every word she forced out.

“The Northern Earth Kingdom outside of a town called Patch. That’s where we live,” the firebender said. Blake couldn’t hide her surprise. While benders of all kinds occupied every corner of the world, it was rare to find firebenders this far north. Except for the ones in the memories Blake was desperately trying to push away. “I’m Yang. This is my sister Ruby.”

“Right.” She could feel her legs now. The next step would be getting to her feet. Blake subtly stretched and flexed her muscles. Her joints felt far too stiff. Whatever ice she was in must have done a number on her. She was lucky she wasn’t dead

“Aren’t you going to tell us your name?” Ruby asked. Blake froze under their expectant stares.

“Uh, Blake.” She couldn’t think fast enough to come up with an alias.

“Well, Blake. Care to explain how you and your buffalo ended up encased in a block of ice at the bottom of the ocean?” Yang asked. Blake’s hand shot back to tangle in Gambol’s fur.

“She’s a sky bison, thank you very much.”

“Really? Wow, that’s incredible,” Ruby said. She shot to her feet, kicking sand all over Blake and the fire. The flames died down and Blake shivered at the loss of warmth. They flared up at Yang’s command again, and she leveled a glare at her sister. Ruby was too enamored with Gambol to pay her much heed. “Where’d you find one? I thought they were extinct.”

Blake let out a strangled noise. “I’m sorry, what?” Though Ruby’s attention was on Gambol, Yang stared at Blake with narrowed eyes. Blake’s hand closed around her glider. She was glad the sisters didn’t think it was scrap wood to burn. 

Giving as little warning as she could, Blake rolled onto her shoulder. She used her momentum to spin on the ground, kicking her legs out to summon a gust of wind beneath her. Sand and embers went flying as Blake used the air to boost herself off the ground. She landed lightly on the other side of the fire, ten feet away from the sisters. She held out her staff threateningly, though her sudden movements caused the blood to rush in her head. She could barely stand.

“You’re an airbender!” Ruby exclaimed. Her eyes were nearly as wide as Yang’s mouth. Without looking she reached over and slapped Yang’s arm. “See, I told you! She’s an airbender!”

“I saw that.” Yang’s voice was hoarse. “I have...so many questions.”

“You’ve asked a lot of them,” Blake said. Most of them she didn’t know how to answer. A wave of dizziness overtook her and she had to plant her staff in the sand to stay upright. 

“An airbender…” Ruby was still in awe.

“Yes, Ruby, we get it,” Yang said. “And she’s less than a league away from one of the largest Fire Nation colonies in the Earth Kingdom.” Ruby sobered up at that. Blake’s hands tightened on her staff. At least her suspicions were confirmed now. The elders must have been blind not to notice a colony springing up under their noses. They certainly hadn’t told Blake or any of the other Air Nomads about it.

“You’re going to kill me now, aren’t you?” Blake asked. Resignation was a heavy weight on her shoulders. She was under no illusion what happened after she fled the siege on the Northern Air Temple. She hoped at least a few of her people managed to make it out and not stumble into the clutches of the enemy. Even if the enemy was two young girls.

“What? No of course not!” Ruby said. “Why would we kill you if we just went to all that trouble to save you? That makes no sense. Right Yang?”

“Right.” The sincerity in her voice was a slap in Blake’s face.

“Really? Because I just escaped a massacre at my home temple. Tell me, do you think your soldiers left any of my people alive?” Blake’s voice shook as she blinked away tears. “We don’t even have an army.” 

“What do you mean just?” Ruby asked, probing gently.

“As in I can still smell the smoke,” Blake said. Ruby and Yang exchanged a look.

“Do you want to tell her or should I?” Ruby asked.

“Tell me what?” There were tears streaming freely down Blake’s cheeks now. Memories flooded back of Kali, the airbending master who raised her, telling her to run. Revealing her identity, how she was too important to lose. Displaying her enormous talents to hold back a whole platoon of ghastly Fire Nation soldiers so she could escape.

Yang stepped forward around the fire. She held out her hands, palm down in a peaceful gesture. “Blake, the Air Nation lost the war a hundred years ago. There’s nobody left. The Fire Nation is still at war with the Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom, but the Air Nomads are gone. You must have been trapped in the ice all this time. How are you still alive?”

At that, Blake’s knees did give out. Gambol sensed her distress and roared. She raced to her side, nuzzling and comforting as best she could. Blake sobbed into her fur. She knew of the horror that must have befallen her people. Saw the smoke rising in the distance where the Western Air Temple once was. But to learn it happened a century ago when to her it felt like mere days was more devastating than she could fathom. She almost didn’t care how much danger she was in at the moment. For her cowardice, she deserved to join them. She of all people would have been able to stop it. 

When her tears had finally run dry, she unknotted her fingers from Gambol’s fur. Shed hair stuck to her fingers and cheeks. She made no move to wipe it off. The bison was just as subdued. Her ears flicked, a small motion compared to the rest of her body. She was still a ten-ton animal, and the motion was plenty of warning of Yang and Ruby’s approach.

“I need to get out of here,” she said dully. “Any place with the Fire Nation around is not somewhere I should be right now.”

“Look, you can hardly stand. Less than an hour ago you were literally frozen. I’m sure your bison is just as exhausted,” Yang said.

“You should come back to the village with us. Rest up before you move on. Your bison can hide in the woods,” Ruby said. Blake turned to face the sisters, leaning on Gambol for support.

“Why are you so interested in me? If you’re not going to turn me in, what value do I have to you?” She asked.

“Truthfully?” Yang watched her sister as she rubbed the back of her neck. Ruby nodded letting her speak. “I’m Fire Nation through and through, but this war has gone on long enough. It took our mother. It’s probably going to take me soon when I’m a little bit older. And Ruby. I want to see the end of the suffering.”

“I recognized your tattoos when we were building up the fire,” Ruby added. “And we were kind of hoping you’d know the person who’d be able to end the war.”

“And who would that be?”

“The Avatar,” Ruby spoke like it was obvious. Blake’s joints locked up. Ruby continued, not noticing her tension. “We were hoping you might know what happened to him. He disappeared, and no one’s been able to find the next reincarnation. So the Air Avatar must be alive. He must be  _ ancient _ . Imagine, all of that wisdom concentrated in the most powerful bender in the world.”

“What Ruby is trying to say,” Yang interrupted, “is that people have been searching for the Avatar for a hundred years. But no one’s found him, and the world has fallen out of balance. He’s needed more than ever right now. If you know where he might be, it could literally change the course of the war.”

“I wouldn’t get your hopes up,” Blake said.

“Jeeze, you’re moody for an airbender,” Ruby said. “But you do know the Avatar, right? What happened to him? Why did he disappear?”

“It’s not a he!” Blake shouted, unable to stand the barrage of questions any longer. “I’m the Avatar. And I won’t be any help to you.” For all of ten seconds, Ruby was shocked into blessed silence. 

“Oh, wow!  _ You’re  _ the Avatar? That is so cool! Can you show me? Bend all the elements! There’s an ocean right there. We already saw you airbend. Show us! Please? Oh man, this is so cool. Yang, we’re going to be able to help end the war! Just like mom wanted.”

“Cool it, Ruby. This can’t be easy for her. She’s only known about the war for five minutes,” Yang said.

Blake was touched when she came to her defense, feeling guilty for her automatic fear of Yang upon finding out she was a firebender. She had her reasons, but Kali taught her better than that. Give people the benefit of the doubt and they’ll most often surprise you.

Yang turned her attention onto Blake. “What do you mean you won’t be any help? Ruby said your tattoos are those of a master.”

“An airbending master,” Blake said. “I barely discovered my identity before...well, I never started my training in the other elements at all.” She glanced out over the ocean in the direction she thought was north. “If things are as bad as you say they are, I need to get to the North Pole as soon as possible. I’m useless as any individual bender right now.” She looked up to Gambol’s neck, summoning the strength to make a cushion of air to launch herself onto the bison.

“Well then, we’ll help,” Ruby announced. She nodded, pleased with her own statement.

“No offense,” Blake looked them up and down, “but I don’t think two kids are going to be much help.”

“Hey, we’re the same age,” Yang protested.

“I'm a hundred and fifteen years old,” Blake deadpanned. Yang’s eyes lit up.

“But you were in a coma for a century. That means if we’re going by the number of years spent as a conscious human being, I’m older than you,” she said.

“Technically, she’s lived thousands of lifetimes,” Ruby pointed out. Against her better judgment, Blake was starting to like her.

“During  _ this  _ lifetime, I mean.”

“Anyway.” Ruby tore away from the escalating argument. “If it’s adults and masters you’re looking for, our dad is the greatest earthbender alive. He’s been teaching me!” Blake’s eyebrow rose in surprise to hear about an earthbender living in a Fire Nation colony. Her curiosity begged for the story behind that one.

“Are you a good earthbender?” She asked instead. 

Ruby’s shoulders sagged. “Well, not really. But I promise that Dad is. It just hasn’t clicked for me yet.”

“That doesn’t inspire confidence.”

“Listen,” Yang said, “my point still stands. You’re not going to get far today. Come back to Patch with us. Our dad is a veteran of the war, he knows a lot about the world. If we can’t help you, I’m sure that he can. At the very least, we can help you get your bearings. I promise nothing will happen to you.”

Blake hesitated. Her exhaustion was bone-deep. She barely knew where she was. Her fierce need for independence tugged her northward, but the idea of flying out into an unfamiliar world kept her feet rooted to the sand. Maybe it would be nice to speak to an elder, take a few hours to figure out her best move. Besides, Yang and Ruby saved her life. They wouldn’t go to all that trouble just to have her killed the minute they stepped foot in their village. And Blake knew better than to indebt herself to a couple of strangers, even as kind as they were.

“Fine,” she said. “I’ll stay one night. But then I’m leaving. I’ve wasted enough time already.”

“You’re already a hundred years late. What’s one more night?” Yang asked. She patted Blake on the shoulder. 

“You’re going to love Dad. He’s the coolest person I know. Sorry, Yang,” Ruby said. She darted for their boat and started to push it back into the water. 

“Oh yeah? What about Uncle Qrow?” Ruby paused, hands on the bow of the boat.

“I forgot about him. I take it back. Dad is the second coolest person I know. Yang is a distant third.” 

Yang rolled her eyes. “She thinks she’s funny,” she said to Blake. “You joining us or are you going to ride your bison?”

“Gambol’s fine,” Blake said. She clambered up without the assistance of her bending, too fatigued to summon a strong enough gust. 

Gambol followed Yang and Ruby’s boat up the river, walking along the bank to stay as dry as possible. Blake tried to imagine in her head what their destination would look like. She found it impossible. Imperial Fire Nation buildings morphed into Earth Kingdom ones as she lost focus. It was difficult to imagine such a blurring of nations, though it was no big deal to Ruby and Yang. Things had most definitely changed in the hundred years she’d been gone. She hoped not all of it was for the worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading everyone! I'd love to know what you think! stay well, all


	3. Chapter 3

Leaving Gambol in the woods was more difficult than Blake would have imagined. In her mind, she knew her bison was just a shout away. But being the only familiar thing she had left in this world made parting harder than she wanted to admit. She followed the sisters into Patch with her heart hammering in her throat. She’d flown over this part of the Earth Kingdom before, and it was unnerving to see a well-established settlement in a place she knew to be an uninhabited forest.

To hide her tattoos, she wore a wide-brimmed straw hat that smelled of fish Ruby found in the boat and kept her hands tucked into her robes. She stuck close to Ruby while Yang led the way to their house, drawing attention onto herself and away from Blake. It left Blake free to look around, to take in the colony. Everything was so  _ red _ . From the tapestries that hung on walls proudly displaying the Fire Nation insignia to the lanterns that were strung overhead to the clothes that people wore. 

She ducked with fear when she spotted two uniformed guards. They carried tasseled spears and wore light armor, but the sight of them had Yang steering them into an alley.

“Can’t be too careful,” she justified lightly. Blake was on the verge of passing out. This was a horrible idea. She never should have come here.

To her immense shock, they reached Ruby and Yang’s two-storied house unchallenged. It was a relief to have solid walls between her and what felt like the eyes of the whole village. Yang went around closing shutters while Ruby took her into the kitchen.

“You want some tea? We have jasmine, oolong, some weird seaweed stuff Dad swears is good for your skin but tastes gross,” Ruby said, rummaging through a cupboard.

“I’m ok,” Blake said. She didn’t think she could stomach anything at the moment, wound up as she was.

“Listen, you’re the Avatar. If Dad comes home and you don’t have a cup of tea in front of you, he’ll make me practice my Horse stance until the sun sets.” Ruby shuddered as she imagined her fate. Blake stared blankly, unfamiliar with the technique. It must have been an earthbending stance. With a sigh, she realized she would probably have to learn it, too. Eventually.

“Anything is fine,” Blake capitulated.

Ruby set the pot to boil as Yang came and sat at the table. Her skin was crusted with dried salt. Looking at it, Blake’s own skin itched with discomfort. She was covered in salt as well, but what made the room feel small was the silence that filled every corner. She folded her hands into her lap as Ruby came to sit at the table while the water boiled.

“I can do it faster,” Yang said, staring at the pot on the stove. Ruby wrinkled her nose.

“Faster doesn’t mean better. I have it handled.” She cupped her chin with one palm, elbow resting on the table as she stared at Blake. “So which temple are you from?” Blake winced and Yang smacked Ruby on the arm, nearly knocking her over.

“Uh, the Western Air Temple,” Blake answered. She wondered just how much of her home was left.

“Ruby, why don’t you get changed into some actual clothes,” Yang suggested. “Yours are still wet.”

“They’re not that bad,” Ruby said, pinching the hem of her shirt. It squelched.

“Go,” Yang said, more firmly this time. Ruby leaped to her feet and dashed off. Blake heard her footsteps going up the stairs. Yang crossed her arms and stared at the table. Blake could all but sense the questions sizzling under her skin. Thankfully, she refrained from asking any of them.

Ruby returned shortly, still straightening her red and black tunic. She immediately went to check on the tea. Yang rose to her feet.

“I’m going to change too. I can get you something a little less salt-stained, Blake. It might be a little big on you, though.” Blake’s fingernails dug into her palms underneath the table. The thought of giving up her robes was less than appealing. She shook her head, silently refusing the offer.

Tea was ready by the time Yang came back downstairs. Her sleeveless tunic was accented with yellow rather than black. Blake’s eyes lingered over her muscular and freckled arms that spoke of long days of training. She wore a circlet around her right bicep, purple and carved with simple flowing patterns. Returning to her seat, she sipped her tea, disregarding the steam rising from it. Neither Blake or Ruby had touched theirs yet. Ruby rolled her eyes.

“Firebenders,” she said, sharing a private joke with Blake. 

Blake smirked, an idea forming in her mind. Keeping her hand flat, she flicked her wrist over her cup. A small cyclone of air formed over her tea, wisping away the worst of the heat until it was comfortable enough to drink. She took a sip, staring at Ruby over the rim of her teacup.

“Would you like some help with yours?” She asked. Ruby’s eyes widened.

“Yes please,” she said, thrilled to see any demonstration of airbending.

Her enthusiasm was so encouraging that by the time Ruby and Yang’s father came home, Blake was hovering a multitude of items in the air at Ruby’s request.

“Ok, you can do a chair. Can you do a chair with me in it?” She asked as the teapot floated past her head. Yang watched the spectacle with an amused grin.

“I’ve come back to some weird things going on in this house, but I think this takes the cake.” Blake jumped at the man speaking up from behind her, losing her concentration and dropping the objects floating on her bending. Yang lunged to catch the teapot before it shattered, but a chair and several pieces of fruit thunked to the wooden floor.

Blake leaped out of her seat to face her host. He was tall, blonde, and muscular, nearly the spitting image of Yang. The twinkle in his blue eyes was all Ruby, and it was clear who he was from the moment Blake saw him.

“Dad!” Ruby cried, launching out of her chair to give him a hug and dispersing any lingering doubts of Blake’s. Yang rose as well, a grin stretching her face even further than the one she wore watching Blake show off. She set the teapot on the table before going to hug her father. Blake stood awkwardly out of the way.

“You two have found us an interesting guest,” he said, looking at Blake over Yang’s head. Blake quickly bowed, one fist pressed into her palm.

“I hope I’m not intruding,” she said.

“Not at all. Though I suppose you’re the reason all the shutters are closed and my girls are burning through a very valuable, expensive oil lamp.” He raised an eyebrow at the light source sitting on the counter.

“There’s a good reason for that,” Ruby said. “Dad, this is Blake. We kind of found her in an iceberg while we were diving.”

“You get more mysterious by the minute, Blake,” he said, dropping his arms to his sides. “I’m Tai. Yang and Ruby’s father. Where did you girls manage to find an airbender?” He directed the question to his daughters.

“She’s not just an airbender,” Yang said, poking Tai in the gut. He groaned and hunched away from her. “She’s the Avatar.” Every last drop of blood drained from Tai’s face.

“Uh, you what now?” He stared at Blake like she grew a second head. Shock and sadness warred to be expressed on his face. “I–wow.”

“We told her you would be able to teach her earthbending,” Ruby said, bouncing on the soles of her feet.

“That’s a heavy promise,” Tai said with the tone of a parent about to let his children down. “One I don’t think I can keep. Sorry, Blake.” She dipped her head to show she wasn’t offended. There were plenty of earthbenders she could learn from. She didn’t want to overstay her welcome here.

“Why not? You’re teaching me,” Ruby persisted. “You’re a great earthbender.”

“Not good enough to train the Avatar,” he said. “Besides, the elements have to be learned in order. Earth, fire, air, and water. Have you learned any waterbending, young Avatar?” Blake shook her head.

“But that’s why she needs our help,” Yang said. “She can’t stay here. Patch is too dangerous. And besides, isn’t the Avatar supposed to travel the four nations to learn about their culture as they learn the elements? We’ll find her a waterbending master, and you can be there when she’s ready to learn earth.”

“I agree with part of what you said. Patch  _ is _ too dangerous for you to stay long.” He ground the heels of his palms into his eyes. “Alright, listen. We can’t let the Avatar fall into the hands of the military. Even if you weren’t the Avatar, this is no place for an airbender. And you’re just a kid. I’m not going to send you out into the world on your own. We’ll help you get to the North Pole. I swear.” Tai stopped rubbing his eyes to press his fist over his heart, blue eyes filled with determination.

“That’s a heavy promise to make,” Blake said. 

“It’s not one I make without knowing what I’m getting into,” Tai said. “I’ve seen this good for nothing war up close. One way or another, it has to end. I believe you are our best hope.”

For the first time since coming to Patch, she felt a true calm wash over her. Not the calm of distraction, but the centering steadiness brought on by someone who knew what they were doing. As determined in her mission as she was, the openness of it all terrified her. Tai was an anchor, a voice of wisdom leading her from the worst of the storm. His confidence in her was easy like it was a fact she would succeed in bringing peace. It was nice not to feel alone. Especially as Yang and Ruby nodded in agreement.

“That’s what we told her from the start,” Ruby said.

“Yeah! I want to do something for once rather than sit around and wait for things to change,” Yang said. The strength of their conviction made a lump rise in Blake’s throat. For the first time since learning she was the Avatar, she didn’t feel overwhelmed by the task set before her. Maybe with their help, she actually stood a chance at bringing balance to the world.

“I am beyond grateful for even your hospitality,” she choked out.

“Any friend of my girls is welcome here.” Tai rubbed the stubble on his chin. “Let’s see. Our boat isn’t very seaworthy. Maybe I can talk with Master Chen to see if he’ll let me borrow a more substantial one.”

“Transportation won’t be a problem,” Blake said, recovering herself. “My sky bison survived with me. She’ll be able to carry us all easily.” She blinked, surprised at herself. Tai was more disarming than she imagined. She couldn’t believe how easily she trusted him.

Tai stared at her blankly. “It’s like you stepped out of a legend,” he said. He shook himself out of his awe. “With that taken care of, we’ll need supplies. Yang, will you go out and get us food for the trip? Ruby, Blake and I can scrounge around here for other stuff. We’ll leave first thing in the morning.”

“Sounds fine. Gambol needs some time to recover,” Blake said. 

“And then you’ll teach her earthbending!” Ruby exclaimed simultaneously.

“You’re really adamant about that, aren’t you kid?” Tai shook his head. “Fine. If we don’t run across anyone better, I can at least start you off with the basics.  _ After _ you learn waterbending.” Ruby squealed with excitement. She let out a stream of what might have been words that only Tai managed to follow. Blake was dizzy just listening to her.

“I want to go with you,” Blake said as Yang started out the door. Yang glanced over her shoulder, looking at her with skepticism.

“Is that a good idea?” She asked.

“No, but I need to know what the world is like before I dive into it,” Blake said. “Seeing a colony would be a great place to start. Please let me come with you. Also, I think I might lose my mind being cooped up here until the morning.” Yang’s gaze went over Blake’s shoulder to where Ruby had fallen into an earthbending stance and was pretending to launch huge boulders at Tai, who danced around trying to avoid them with an exaggerated expression of terror on his face.

“Wow, they’re being so embarrassing.” Yang covered her eyes. “Yeah, you should come along. You’d think they’d behave in front of the Avatar.” She rolled her eyes.

Blake scurried after Yang, secretly glad her family was so...normal. Knowing what she knew now, Blake’s whole life had been nothing but normal. She couldn’t imagine herself as the all-powerful being of legend, commanding all four elements at will. She barely had time to get used to the idea before the storm forced her and Gambol into the ice.

She kept her straw hat pulled low over her forehead, but for the most part, the streets were emptier in the evening than they were earlier in the day. Yang’s veneer of sociability dropped, no longer having to draw all the attention to herself to spare Blake any second glances. There were barely enough people to give her first glances. It was easier for Blake to examine the town, to take in how unabashedly Fire Nation it was. She wouldn’t have guessed they were in the Earth Kingdom unless Yang and Ruby already told her.

“Dad owns a store in town. We can get stuff from there. If we’re going to be leaving for a while, no one will miss it,” Yang said, guiding them along a route she barely had to think about.

“I can’t believe you’re uprooting your lives for me,” Blake said. As much as she didn’t want to be alone, she couldn’t help her guilt. Yang shrugged.

“People have fought wars for you before. But honestly, things have gotten so out of control it’s nice being able to do  _ something _ . This is about the fate of the world, and you’re a big part of that. But it doesn’t have to be all on you,” she said. Blake was quiet. She didn’t get to respond before someone called out from across the street.

“Talking about the war, are we Yang?” The voice was old and playful. Yang stepped in front of Blake, who pinned her eyes to the street. Her tattoos burned. Leaving the house was really stupid.

“Yes, grandmother,” Yang replied. “We’re lucky to be mostly out of it, here in Patch.”

“Mostly out of it my foot,” the elder spat. “With all these soldiers around, you’d think we were on the front lines. Might as well be, with the cruiser that sank off our shore recently. The world gets more and more dangerous every day.”

“We’re small enough to go unnoticed,” Yang said, remaining as respectful as she could. She nudged Blake and they began inching down the road past this encounter.

“Speaking of those soldiers,” the elder said, ignoring Yang’s plain hurry to be gone, “when are you going to join them? You’re a powerful young firebender. The Fire Lord is always looking for strong soldiers. You should think about joining the military now that you’re sixteen. It will bring you and your family great honor.” Blake shifted uncomfortably. War was not something to be taken so lightly. All it did was destroy lives, not bring honor.

“There is honor in serving at home,” Yang said. Her voice was tinged with desperation. “My father and sister need me. Besides, I’ll be able to defend Patch better if I stay here.” Lies, all lies. How could Yang stay so steady when they were planning to leave the next day?

“The Earth Kingdom is getting more aggressive lately. You can’t wait to fight until your enemy is at your doorstep.”

“Thank you for your wisdom, Grandmother.” Yang bowed, folding her hands formally. “I really must be going now, though. Excuse me.” She all but pushed Blake down the street.

“I hope you heed it,” the elder called out after them. Blake’s heart pounded, feeling her eyes on them until they rounded the corner. Yang steered them around a set of construction scaffolding toward a building with closed shutters and grabbed a loop of keys from her tunic. She fumbled with the front door for a moment before finally getting it open. They tumbled inside, breathing as though they’d just run for miles.

Yang recovered first, pushing herself off the front wall to stand under her own power. She glanced at Blake, who was still trembling from head to toe.

“I’ll give you a moment,” Yang said, heading deeper into the dark store. She navigated around shelves like she spent most of her life here, dumping goods into a basket when she passed something that was useful. 

Blake watched in silence, partially because she didn’t want to bump into anything. With the shutters closed and the sun going down, it was rather dim inside. The other part of her couldn’t reconcile the Yang in front of her gently scooping rice into a bag with the soldiers who attacked her home. Before Blake showed up, would she have been strong enough to stick to her beliefs and remain home? Or would she be caught up in the machine of war, like so many young benders? The war had a way of drawing in even those most staunchly against it. 

Spirits. The world really was at war, wasn’t it? Before the attack on the temple, Blake had a feeling things were taking a turn for the worse. She hadn’t heard anything official, but she sensed the imbalance of the world. Many of the monks did. Blake couldn’t understand how they could be so unprepared for hellfire to rain down on them.

“You’re quiet,” Yang said. She came over to the door, having filled one basket with provisions. She set it on the floor near Blake. “Did what that woman said bother you?”

“A little,” she admitted. It was too easy to be vulnerable with Yang. Probably because Yang had already seen Blake at her weakest. “Everything I know is against the very concept of war. The monks taught us that all life is sacred. The idea of finding honor in war is…”

“Barbaric,” Yang said. Blake looked up in surprise. Times had clearly changed, but even the firebenders she knew a hundred years ago were aggressive. She could only imagine how amplified their nature became after the world spent so long in turmoil. “My mom taught me something similar. That all people have value. I guess that’s why even though I’m Fire Nation, I don’t agree with everything we’re doing. Dad and Ruby are like that, too. It was really only a matter of time before we had to move on from here.”

“I’ll try not to feel too bad about dragging you away, then,” Blake said.

“Are you kidding me? I’ve always wanted to see what the world is like past Patch. I just never really had the opportunity to do it.” Yang finished with her second basket and grabbed a pole from behind the counter. “I bet you’ve been all over, being an Air Nomad.”

“More or less.” Blake averted her gaze, not wanting to make it sound like she was bragging.

“You’ll have to tell me about it while we’re on our trip,” Yang said. She fitted the baskets to the ends of her pole and hauled it easily over her shoulders. “We’re good here. Let’s get back before dark.”

“I wonder how much everything has changed since I’ve seen it,” Blake said as Yang locked up behind them. Yang paused.

“Yeah, it’s been an interesting century, that’s for sure.” She slipped the key out of the lock and back into her pocket. They started to make their way back to Yang’s house. “Are you going to be ok? This can’t be easy to handle.” 

Blake shrugged. “There’s no point in denying reality, as much as I hate everything that’s happened,” she said, letting a little too much of the truth into her words.

“Is that some ancient monk wisdom?”

“That’s just life.” Yang went quiet as they passed under the scaffolding. She opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by a shout.

“Watch out!” Blake glanced upward to see a set of ceramic tiles sliding off the roof directly above them. 

Yang froze, unable to act as she was encumbered by the supplies. Without thinking, Blake swirled her arms above their heads, bending a cushion of air above them to protect them from the deadly tiles. They smashed harmlessly on the ground as the wind blew Blake’s hat off her head, exposing her tattoo. She snatched it from the air, but not before meeting the wide-eyed stare of the workers on the scaffolding. Dread pitted her stomach.

“We need to go,” Yang muttered. She nudged Blake with one arm of the carrying pole and they broke into a run. “Maybe they’ll think it’s late and they’re imagining things.”

“They’d have to be blind and deaf,” Blake panted. Her limbs were numb with fear, mouth dry from more than just exertion. She imagined the worst-case scenario, her display summoning soldiers to drag her away to a horrible fate. She may as well have just doomed their quest before it even began.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooh shit just got real!!!
> 
> Thanks for reading y'all. I'm having such a blast writing this that I think sticking to a biweekly updating schedule isn't too unreasonable. For now, enjoy this slightly longer chapter as the stakes are raised!


	4. Chapter 4

Yang led them down as many side streets as she could, hoping that the construction workers would lose line of sight on them after just a few turns. They’d been on the move fast enough. Maybe they hadn’t been recognized.

It was a long shot. She’d stood dumbly for a few precious seconds. How could Blake have exposed herself like that? She could have easily leaped out of the way, airbending with much more subtlety. Yang would have been fine. In the long run, at least. 

By the time they reached her house, Yang was gasping hard for breath. She fumbled with the front door, pushing Blake in before her and staying out on the street to look it up and down. No one was around. Hopefully, that meant no one knew where the airbender went. She turned sideways to fit her burden through the front door.

“You look like you were chased by a pack of hog-monkeys,” Tai said as Yang shut the door. She exchanged a look with Blake, who was also panting and covered with sweat. 

“We may as well have been,” Yang said. Her shoulders ached from running with the baskets, so she set them down one by one on the floor. “There was an incident outside of the store.”

Tai came forward to peek in one of the baskets. “What kind of incident?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I may have...airbent a little,” Blake admitted sheepishly. Yang saw the tick in Tai’s jaw.

“Did anyone see you?”

“No. Yes? Maybe?” Yang said.

“We should assume yes,” Blake said.

“That complicates things.” Tai rose to his feet, dusting off his hands. “It would be rash to flee immediately, but we really do have to leave first thing in the morning then. Ruby’s version of first thing.” Yang couldn’t help the groan rumble up in her chest. “Get some rest, girls. I’ll wake you up when it’s time to go.”

Yang jerked her head. “Come on. I’ll show you where you can sleep.” She led Blake up the stairs. Hopefully, she wouldn’t mind sharing a room.

She summoned a tiny flame in her palm to light their way. Tai would have a conniption fit about her firebending in the house, but the stairs were horribly uneven. Yang had lived here her whole life and she still tripped over them daily. Blake wouldn’t stand a chance, even if her footsteps were so light they barely made any noise. She sounded like Ruby. Yang was always jealous of her ability to sneak in and out so easily. Though, Ruby used the ability to steal snacks from the cupboard while Yang would actually sneak out if she could. 

The door to Ruby’s room was already shut. Yang opened her own and stood back to let Blake inside. She tried not to let herself be embarrassed by her meager belongings. She had a small sack of clothes, already packed before Tai got home in anticipation. A few animal figurines were lined up on the windowsill above her low bed that was pushed against the wall. In one of the corners by the door hung a hammock, and she had a few scrolls with her best calligraphy pinned to the walls.

Yang held out her hand that was cupping the flame to illuminate the room. “You can have the bed.”

“What? No, it’s your room,” Blake protested.

“Dad would kill me if I let a guest sleep in a hammock,” Yang said. To herself, she thought she’d sleep on the floor before kicking the freaking Avatar out of her bed. Blake seemed on edge whenever they brought that up, so Yang chose to keep her thoughts to herself.

“If you’re sure.” Yang couldn’t miss the flash of relief in her eyes as she turned for the bed. She waited for her to get comfortable before letting the flame die out and clamber into the hammock. The ceiling creaked as she shifted, fabric closing over her head.

“Night, Blake,” she said to the darkened room.

“Goodnight, Yang,” came the soft reply.

Though she was physically exhausted from the day’s events, Yang’s mind would not turn off. She listened intently for Blake’s even breathing. As much as she downplayed herself, Yang still couldn’t believe that the Avatar was here in her house. She’d seen plenty of evidence of airbending, but the tricks Blake showed seemed more like magic than bending. Her obvious trauma aside, there was a lightness to Blake hidden just beneath the surface. Yang wanted to know her better. 

She couldn’t decide whether she was more excited to meet the Avatar or their upcoming mission. The world was so vast and she wanted to explore all of it, just like her mom had. Their conversation in the store reminded her of Summer’s stories. They filled Yang with a wanderlust she never thought would be fulfilled. Until now. Morning couldn’t come soon enough.

* * *

Yang flinched and nearly tumbled out of the hammock when a loud banging invaded her consciousness. She grunted in protest and carefully propped herself up on her elbow to see what was going on.

The window was open just a crack, spilling in moonlight Yang had to squint to see by. Blake was crouched on the bed, peering out the window with one eye. Yang swung her feet out of the hammock, landing with a quiet thunk and a creak of the floorboards.

“Shh,” Blake hissed without turning from the window. Yang winced. She thought she was being quiet, but to Blake, she was probably like a landslide.

“What is it?” Yang asked at a whisper.

“Soldiers. Going door to door.” Blake’s words were barely audible but they sent a horrible chill through Yang. She crept up to the window as quietly as she could.

“You’re quieter than me. Go wake my dad and Ruby. I’ll keep a watch,” she said. Blake was a shadow, out of the room before Yang could take over her position at the window.

She pressed an eye up to the narrow slit, scanning the street below. It was still well before dawn, even earlier than Ruby woke her up the day before. Her shallow breathing stopped entirely when she saw the contingency of soldiers standing on the doorstep of a house a few buildings down. 

There were at least a dozen Fire Nation soldiers, several of them holding lanterns on poles to cast a light on the street. Unlike Patch’s guards, they were dressed in heavy armor. Their white masks looked especially ghastly in the flickering light. Yang shivered. Though they wore the same red and black colors of their nation, the sight of them did not make her feel more secure the way Patch’s soldiers did. These were homeland soldiers. The kind who waged the war.

A faint argument floated up from the street below. Yang dared to crack the window a little more to get a better view.

Where previously she’d been hidden by the tiled awning over the door, Yang could now see a girl standing aggressively just outside the door. She wore similar armor as the soldiers, gold plated cuirass and shoulder pads making her figure even more striking. She left off the helmet, and Yang saw the glint of more gold around her topknot. Two lieutenants stood just behind her and to either side. One leaned against the side of the building like he could hardly be bothered. The other mimicked the leader’s aggressive stance, though since she wore no armor the effect wasn’t the same.

“I don’t  _ care _ that it’s the middle of the night. If you were a true Fire Nation citizen, you would be groveling on your knees right now,” the leader snarled. “By royal decree, you  _ will _ allow us into your home. We’re hunting for a fugitive, and I don’t think you’d like the consequences of being charged with obstructing the Princess of the Fire Nation.” 

The declaration on its own would be enough to send any loyal subject cowering, but the blue flame she summoned in one hand was a clear threat. Yang’s limbs locked in place. Her breath caught in her throat as her lungs refused to cooperate. As quietly as she could, she closed and latched the window, every motion stiff with terror. She’d seen enough.

Grabbing her bag from where it leaned against the wall, Yang dashed into the hallway. A yawning Ruby was already there, rubbing sleep from her eyes. Yang couldn’t have felt more awake. Blake backed out of Tai’s doorway to let him into the hall. He held a lantern in one hand and had his bag slung over the opposite shoulder.

“What’s the matter, Yang?” He asked upon seeing her terror-stricken face.

“We need to leave right now,” she said, hardly daring to give volume to her words. “We should have been gone hours ago.” Tai’s face morphed into craggy determination. His jaw tightened.

“Backdoor,” he ordered in a tone he rarely used. A tone that reminded Yang of guerrilla warfare and watching him bend mountains of earth to his will. It left no room for argument, and they all hurried down the stairs.

Tai was the last one out, dousing the lantern and leaving it inside the house. He passed one of their supply baskets to Yang and took up the other himself. He turned to Blake.

“Lead us to your bison. Ruby, stick with her and make sure we keep to the alleys. Yang and I will take up the back. Move as quickly and silently as possible.” They all rushed to follow his directions, heading down the street while following the deepest shadows. 

Yang heard the telltale  _ whoosh _ as firebending lit up the road on the other side of the buildings. Someone was protesting letting soldiers into their home. The blue flames were etched into her mind as she struggled to control her breathing. If they had to fight, it would be best to enter it prepared. Her legs burned as she bent low, trying to stay near the ground so as not to be noticed.

They left the soldiers behind, but Yang’s nerves were far from soothed. She wanted to be out of here, now. They were nearing the edge of the village, Blake steadfastly leading them with Ruby’s assistance.

“Hey, you! Stop right there!” The voice was militantly harsh. Yang couldn’t help but follow it’s command. She whipped around, coming face to face with one of the unfamiliar soldiers. He was already falling into a firebending stance, feet wide and one fist pulled back to blast them at a moment’s notice. Yang copied him, though her foundation was shaky. Her knees wouldn’t stand firm for more than a second. 

“Listen, we don’t want any trouble,” Tai said calmly. He stood shoulder to shoulder with Yang. She couldn’t see what Blake and Ruby were doing. Her peripheral vision may as well not have existed as she faced off with the soldier. He loomed larger than life, taking up her entire attention.

The soldier ignored him. “The fugitives are trying to run!” He shouted. At the same time, he punched towards them, flames blossoming at his knuckles. Yang moved to counter them with fire of her own, moving awkwardly while holding the basket of supplies with one hand. But they never reached more than a foot past the soldier.

Instead, the soldier collapsed with a loud  _ ping _ sounding off his helmet. Yang barely caught the motion of a pebble bouncing on the ground next to his body.

“We need to go,” Tai said, launching out of his bending stance with the grace of an airbender. “Run!”

Yang pushed the soldier out of her mind, turning to focus on the back of Ruby’s head as she followed her out of the village. She barely registered the sound of her footsteps changing from harsh slaps on cobblestone to crunching leaves. 

There was shouting in the distance behind them. The Princess had caught wind of their flight and was in hot pursuit. Branches slapped down out of nowhere and Yang held out her arm to protect her face. She hoped Blake remembered where she left Gambol. In the dark and with her panic, the woods were completely unfamiliar.

A tree went up in flames behind them and Yang nearly tripped in surprise. She spun and sent a wild fireball toward the soldiers. Fueled by terror, the explosion was enormous. Though she wasn’t aiming at anything, she heard a few shouts of surprise from the soldiers.

“Gambol!” Blake yelled. All sense of stealth was out of the question now. A responding roar helped guide them. 

Yang’s fireball had done enough to slow the soldiers that they had fallen behind by the time they reunited with the bison. Yang boosted Ruby into the saddle and passed up her basket before clambering up herself, grabbing fistfuls of fur to help her. She hoped Gambol couldn’t feel it too much. The last thing she wanted was to disgruntle their means of escape.

Blake airbent herself onto Gambol’s head and took up the reins tied between her horns. When she landed in the saddle, Yang turned to help her father up. He passed her his basket but made no move to reach for her hand.

“What are you doing?” She yelled at him. Ruby was also reaching down to help him up. Tai glanced over his shoulder at the bobbing lights that pinpointed the soldiers chasing them. There was one colored blue that Yang tried not to look at too hard.

“You girls go,” he said, stepping away from the bison. “I’m going to buy you some time.”

“Dad, no!” Ruby cried. She leaned down, nearly falling out of the saddle in her desperation to reach him. Yang grabbed her by the collar and pushed her back, though she refused to retreat herself.

“You can’t. We’re going to escape together,” she said, tears making her voice thick. Her own arm was stretched out so far she nearly dislocated her shoulder.

“It’ll be easier for you to go without eating fireballs.” The shouts were getting closer. “Besides. It’s long past time I put up a fight again. You stick with the Avatar. Make sure she stays safe long enough to fix this.” Just like that he was gone, disappearing into the forest. The earth rumbled in response as he summoned a protective shell around himself. Yang could feel his power making the ground tremble. She sometimes forgot just how strong he was. Tonight was a reminder.

Her stomach dropping out from under her was an excellent distraction for all of thirty seconds. Ruby threw herself against the edge of the saddle as the forest disappeared below them, screaming her head off. Tears spilled down Yang’s cheeks as she numbly tangled her fingers into the back of Ruby’s shirt. 

With the wind whipping at her hair and clothes, she didn’t trust the saddle to keep her on Gambol’s back. Subconsciously, she recognized they were actually flying, but she was unable to process any of the excitement or fear that came with it. The forest below was being lit up by fireballs. Tai was down there somewhere, fighting off an entire platoon by himself.

“We should go back for him,” Blake croaked even as she steered Gambol out toward the ocean.

“Yeah. It should be easy to pick him up since we can fly,” Ruby sniffled.

“No.” The word felt wrong coming out of Yang’s mouth. Someone had to put their foot down, she thought as she wiped her cheeks. Someone had to take care of them now that Tai wasn’t here. “He bought us time to escape. We shouldn’t let that go to waste.”

“But it’s  _ Dad _ ,” Ruby protested.

“Do you know who was chasing us?” Yang asked. Blake turned around to speak with them, resting her crossed arms on the edge of the saddle. Gambol knew her course, apparently. Yang hoped Blake would answer so she wouldn’t have to be the one to say it.

“Fire Nation soldiers,” Blake said. Yang winced. She was half correct.

“Not just any soldiers. Crown Princess Cinder was with them,” she said as firmly as she could, trying to drive her point home.

“No!” Ruby gasped.

“I heard her say so myself,” Yang said. “I saw her firebend. I don’t know anyone who bends like she does. She makes  _ blue fire _ .”

“This changes things,” Blake said. “If the princess is chasing me, she brings the whole force of the Fire Nation Crown behind her. If she’s already onto us, you’re in greater danger being with me than striking out on your own.” Ruby and Yang exchanged looks.

“Not necessarily,” Ruby said. She sniffled, but her tears seemed to have dried a bit. “It was a big deal when it happened, but Princess Cinder was banished a few years back. The Fire Lord sent her on some wild quest to regain her honor. I think the soldiers we saw tonight were the only ones she has at her command.”

“Besides, we’re not going to leave you now,” Yang said. “You need us, just as tonight proved. Even if we weren’t accomplices, I’d say we’re invested enough to help keep you safe.” Her nails dug into her palm. The further they flew, the harder it was to maintain her composure.

She felt horrible about leaving Tai behind. Even though his last act was to order her to continue on, leaving felt too much like cowardice. That was not a path she wanted to go down. She refused to carry on her parent’s mistakes.

“What did he mean when he said it was past time he stood and fought again?” Ruby’s question tore her back to the present.

“He carries himself like a soldier,” Blake said. “Did he ever see combat?”

“A bit,” Yang said. “But he gave that all up when our mom died. He had two kids to raise.”

“I didn’t know that,” Ruby said. Her eyes were wide and tears threatened to spill from them again.

“He didn’t like to talk about it,” Yang said quickly to assuage her. “He wanted us to be proud of our nation.”

“What did he do?” Blake asked like she was afraid to know the answer.

“It wasn’t like that,” Yang said to put her at ease. Tai told her this story one night when Ruby was still too young to hear it. Yang was older and curious, and Tai wanted to warn her away from the crushing machine of war. “He didn’t fight for the Fire Nation. He was a rebel, back when Patch was just a temporary war camp. I don’t know the whole story, but somehow he joined the other side. The rebellion failed, and Patch became a colony.” 

Rage bubbled up inside of her at the thought of his freedom fighting days and the people associated with them. She struggled to keep flames from shooting out of her mouth. “I should have stood and fought with him! Not run like a coward. Like...Agh!” She leaned off the side of the saddle and punched out, summoning the biggest gout of fire she could, unable to contain herself. It lit up the night sky and Gambol roared in complaint.

“Cool it, Yang!” Ruby dove over and grabbed her by the arm, dragging her back into the middle of the saddle. “You’ll lead them right to us.”

“I’m sorry,” she said through gritted teeth. She was angry enough to breathe fire, though after Ruby’s admonishment she restrained herself. Her blood boiled at the same time tears rose in her eyes. She blinked them away.

“Sometimes living to fight another day is the best option,” Blake said. She had turned around to face forward, and her words were nearly snatched by the wind. They seemed too heavy to be a simple proverb.

“We’re really on our own now, aren’t we?” Ruby asked. Neither Blake or Yang responded. “Do either of you know how to get to the North Pole?”

“Uh, fly north?” Yang asked. She looked to the sky, tracking the early morning constellations. They were flying roughly in the right direction. “That’s where we’ll find Blake a waterbending master. Right now, you’re our best hope of getting our dad back.” Blake’s shoulders tensed so they nearly touched her ears. She lowered her face into her hands and gave a sharp, agonized cry.

“I can’t do it!” She yelled. “I can’t be responsible for this.” Yang and Ruby shared a look.

“You have to,” Ruby said in her soft, reassuring way. “You’re the Avatar.”

“And you don’t understand how much I’ve ruined that. Tonight only proves I’m not up for the task.”

“Tonight was horrible, but it wasn’t anyone’s fault,” Yang said. She had to force herself to believe her own words. It was the only thing keeping her from spiraling.

“But if I’m the Avatar, I should have been able to stop it from going so wrong,” Blake said, voice breaking.

“You haven’t even learned waterbending yet!” Ruby said.

“That doesn’t mean I get to keep running away from my problems.” Blake turned to face them for the first time since her initial outburst. Her eyes were sunken, haunted. The pure anguish on her face took Yang’s breath away. “I am the wrong Avatar for the world like this.”

“I’m sure you’re not the first Avatar to think that,” Yang said kindly. “Whatever happened in the past, I’m sure you can make up for it.”

“I ran away,” Blake said bluntly. “I ran while my people died at the hands of the Fire Nation. I couldn’t protect them like I couldn’t protect your dad. How can I be the Avatar if all I do is run?”

Her voice rose to a shout by the end of her rant. Yang and Ruby stayed silent, their spirits sinking with every word. Yang brought her knees into her chest and wrapped her arms around them. The reality of their situation finally hit her beyond the adrenaline of running. They had an ocean to cross with a furious princess on their tail who didn’t care how much destruction she left in her wake. They left Tai in her clutches. Their mission was seeming bleaker and bleaker with everything that was happening tonight.

Yang lowered her forehead to her knees and let her tears fall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, all. Hope you guys enjoyed the slightly longer chapter and some angst >:)


	5. Chapter 5

Blake took comfort in nuzzling into her familiar place on Gambol’s head. Her companions were silent as the sun rose. The temperature warmed significantly as the day broke. Not that the cold affected Blake much, but the chill of silence was enough to make her need to draw strength from her animal companion. She couldn’t help but feel like everything that they just lost was because of her.

With just a few hours of travel, the Earth Kingdom was out of sight. To the east, the horizon was ever so slightly bumpy, signifying the mountains that contained the Northern Air Temple. Blake imagined those would fade as well once they went far enough, and they would be left with an even more endless ocean. She couldn’t help but worry about Gambol being able to make the trip. She was strong and they would go to the ends of the earth for each other, but such a long flight was likely to take a heavy toll after so long frozen in ice. 

Her gaze kept sliding to the east. The pull of a different temple was too strong. She wondered if it was as decimated as the Western Air Temple. Gambol shared her thoughts. More than once, they drifted off course. A map of this area sprang to Blake’s mind. From what she could recall, they were flying over a bay in the Northern Earth Kingdom. The eastern side of it jutted out further into the ocean, setting them closer to the North Pole. Between her concerns about Gambol’s strength and her morbid curiosity about the other Air Temples, the idea of making a brief stop became more and more appealing. Maybe she could find something to help her with this whole Avatar thing.

However, each time she looked behind her to check on Yang and Ruby, a fresh wave of guilt stabbed her in the heart. Yang was curled into a ball near the back of the saddle, her knees tucked into her chest. Before the sun rose, Blake could have sworn she saw her shoulders shaking. Ruby wasn’t quite as overcome, but she stared out over the ocean with one arm looped through the saddle. Every so often, she would open her mouth to try and start a conversation. Blake could hear her draw the breath for it. The words never came out.

Eventually, their course was too altered for her not to speak up. “I don’t think we can make it directly to the North Pole,” she said.

“Huh?” Ruby sat up, brow furrowed. “What do you mean? Isn’t that kind of the whole point of this?”

“It’s a long way from Patch to the North Pole. Most of it over open ocean,” Blake said. “There’s another way we can go that’s longer but will have a stop in the middle for Gambol to recover her strength.”

“If you think that’s best.” Yang’s voice was hollow when she spoke. Blake winced, knowing she had to tell them everything before they started. In their current mood, she had no idea how it would go over.

“There are selfish reasons, too,” she said. “When we were learning geography, the nuns made sure to tell us the best routes to all the major cities of the world. The Northern Air Temple was considered a standard part of the journey to the Water Tribe. We don’t have to go, but…”

“You want to see what’s left,” Ruby murmured. Blake nodded.

“I need to see it for myself.” Yang and Ruby shared a glance. “Plus, it’s nearly impossible to get to an Air Temple without flying. It will make it that much more difficult for anyone to pursue us, and give us a few days to recuperate before heading to the Northern Water Tribe.”

“Of course we’re not going to take that away from you. Everything you said makes sense, but closure is important,” Yang said.

“Knowing what happened is different than believing it,” Ruby said. “And if it’s safer to go that way, then we shouldn’t take any unnecessary risks.” 

Blake had to turn around to face forward, unable to bear the open sympathy on her companions' faces. 

“I don’t deserve you,” she said. Ruby and Yang were putting aside their own pain for her sake. Blake’s chest was heavy with so many emotions she couldn’t begin to untangle them.

“What are you talking about?” Yang crawled to the front of the saddle. “Is this about what happened this morning?”

“It wasn’t your fault, Blake,” Ruby said. “Dad knows what he’s doing. I’m sure that by the time we come back to Patch, he’ll be sitting on the porch smoking a pipe and waiting to hear about our adventures. Just you wait.”

“We need to have a great story to tell him,” Yang said. Blake closed her eyes, slowing her breathing as she let the words wash over her. She still found it difficult to believe them. What happened was her fault, in some way. But she internalized the sentiment behind them. The sisters didn’t hold their frantic departure against her. It was the best she could have hoped for, under the circumstances.

“That means more than you know,” Blake said. The strain of fighting the calling eased out of her as Yang rubbed her back between her shoulders. For a brief touch, it sent incredible warmth through her.

As the sun started to set, Blake brought Gambol down to the surface of the water. Out here, the ocean was relatively calm. With the sky bison’s natural buoyancy, she could get a few hours of rest floating on the surface. Blake scrubbed the top of her head with her fingers the way Gambol loved to show her gratitude. She reciprocated with a fond rumble before nosing around to find some seaweed for dinner.

Blake climbed back into the saddle to settle in for the night with Ruby and Yang. They each had their bedrolls out and were finishing a dinner of dry goods. Blake ate hers while up in the driver’s seat. She sat cross-legged at the front of the saddle, content to allow them control over whether or not they exchanged pleasantries before going to bed. It was the least she could do after completely uprooting their lives. While it was looking like they were here out of friendship, Blake wouldn’t begrudge them being motivated by duty and nothing more. The wind was biting, and Blake started meditative breathing to regulate her body temperature.

“It’s going to be cold tonight,” Ruby said. She crawled over to Blake before wriggling into her sleeping bag. “Why don’t you sleep between us? Yang is always  _ so _ warm, she’s awful to sleep next to except for on a night like tonight.” Blake leaned against Ruby briefly, showing her gratitude without voicing it. Yang followed her sister to the front of the saddle, also burrowing down into her sleeping bag.

“What can I say? I’m just that hot.” She winked at Blake. Though her voice was rough, there was good humor in it that made Blake laugh. Yang’s own smile was subdued, but the fact the sisters were willing to sleep next to her at all counted as a win in Blake’s mind.

It would have been much colder with them on either side of her. Blake was grateful that she wasn’t having to face all this alone.

The next day was overcast. Blake’s heart leaped into her throat when it took her several moments to find the sun. She spotted it on the horizon only faintly, though it disappeared behind the clouds shortly after. She tried not to let her uneasiness show to her companions. They were only just starting to trust her.

“There’s a storm coming,” Yang said, rolling her shoulders. Her sleeping bag was bunched around her waist. During the night, she must have overheated. Blake collected the reins, trying to ignore the warmth she still felt from her proximity to the firebender.

“We better get moving,” she said. “Gambol, yip yip!” They took off, leaving a spray of water behind them.

Blake asked Gambol to fly them higher today, though it put more strain on her to do so. The waves were larger, and she worried about getting caught in them if they flew too low. Anxiety coiled in her stomach as the day got darker and darker. The winds were intense, reminding her a bit too strongly of the night she fled the Western Air Temple. She wouldn’t wish that storm on her worst enemy. Her companions were nervous too if Ruby’s constant chatter was anything to judge by. When Yang sat near the front of the saddle to talk to Blake, the air was noticeably warmer around her.

“What happens if it does storm?” Ruby asked. Thunder rumbled in the sky, echoing across the open ocean.

“We’re going to anger the spirits if we keep talking about it,” Yang said. “Maybe it will break by the end of the day.” Blake admired her optimism, though she very much doubted it would come true. At least if it did storm, the princess would have a tougher time following them.

By evening, the rain began. It started as a light drizzle, but eventually, it was heavy enough that Blake kept having to swipe her bangs out of her eyes. Her hair was plastered to her neck, nearly reaching her shoulders from being weighed down by the rain. They were all drenched, though Ruby and Yang did their best to secure a tarp over their supplies. Gambol rumbled with grunts of effort. The only thing to guide them was the direction of the wind, and Blake struggled to adjust her navigation properly. She hoped it hadn’t changed direction. Otherwise, they were screwed.

“We should find another way around!” Ruby shouted over the wind. She was hanging tightly to the saddle, looking as scrawny as a half-drowned kitten. 

“What kind of earthbender are you?” Yang shouted back. She used her fingers to comb her hair out of her face. Lightning flashed across the sky, making them all duck closer to Gambol. As if staying close to the largest thing out here would protect them.

“The kind that values her life!”

“We’ve come too far to turn back,” Blake said. Even though they were flying directly into the storm, they were miles from the shore. Her fingers were frozen around the reins from the cold and determination.

“You two are insane!” Ruby screamed. The wind picked up and tore her words away. Blake pretended she couldn’t hear.

Gambol dipped and bobbed in the air, the intense wind making it difficult to fly in a straight line. She rammed through the storm with her massive head, but Blake could feel her energy flagging. The ocean was a frothing mass below them, and it was getting closer and closer as the turbulent, high altitude winds battered them out of the sky. 

“Come on, Gambol, just a little further,” Blake begged, flattening herself against the bison’s head. All they had to do was make it to the eye of the storm. The smell of wet fur hardly bothered her in the face of near-death. She knew she was a bad omen. The world seemed determined to blast her off the face of it, ready to start the cycle over with a new, better Avatar. Blake grit her teeth as she felt herself falling into her despair.

Without her direction, Gambol dipped lower and lower. She fought to remain in the sky, but the air was too turbulent. She roared as an enormous wave reared up, high enough to brush her belly. Fear helped her gain a bit of altitude, but the bison was drained. It was moments before Blake felt her exhaustion win out. They dropped from the sky.

Ruby and Yang’s screaming faded into nothing as Blake’s grip on the reins loosened. Maybe it would be better this way. The world waited a hundred years for her to do nothing, and it still survived. It could wait a little longer for someone competent to come along.

A wave rose from the ocean, reaching up to claw them from the sky like the hand of a giant spirit. Gambol made one last valiant effort to pull up, but the wave was too large. Even close to the very top it was wide enough to engulf Gambol entirely. 

Water rushed past her ears, though Blake hardly felt the chill. It didn’t matter if it was because she was already wet and freezing, or entirely detached. Beneath the surface was much calmer than in the middle of the storm. Her vision blurred and Gambol became a dark silhouette in the ocean. Blake was floating away from her. Two smaller shadows also floating above Gambol. Unlike Blake, they were both trying to stay close to the bison, clinging to the saddle. Clinging to life. A hint of regret pierced Blake’s fog. She didn’t like that her suicidal inclination was taking down three of her friends with her.

That single emotion was all it took. Like a cloak falling over her, something beyond her power seized control of her limbs. The water lit up around her, flowing and surging in response as she flexed her fingers. She grabbed her staff and whirled it around her head. The water parted immediately at her command. She, Ruby, and Yang fell down into Gambol’s back, who floated within a pocket of air maintained by Blake’s constantly flowing arms. She heard her companions cough and splutter. She had no need for breath. For thought.

Blake raised her arms and brought their bubble to the surface. They burst into the storm. The rain obeyed Blake’s command, streaming around them without a single drop coming within arm’s length of Gambol. The power of the storm seemed like nothing compared to the strength under Blake’s skin.

Moving as though she’d done it a thousand times before, she called on the air and water around her. She reached into the artery of the storm, grabbed it with both hands, and tore. The wind changed, no longer ceaseless and howling, but driving purposefully. The clouds fled from the sky, fading into the distance until they were dispersed entirely. The last of the rain fell into the ocean and leveled out the waves. 

By the time the strange power drained from her limbs, the sky was clear and the ocean was calm. There was no way to guess that a mere moment ago they were in the middle of a monsoon. Blake collapsed against the saddle, staring at the clear blue sky as two hands grabbed her by the shoulders to keep her from falling into the ocean below.

* * *

“Eighty-seven hog-monkeys jumping on the bed. One fell off and bumped its head. Mama called the doctor and the doctor said–oh! Yang! Blake is conscious again!” Blake carefully peeled her eyes open as the song wormed its way into her ear. She struggled to sit up as Ruby helped her with a steadying hand on her shoulder. 

“What just happened?” She asked. It felt like there was a spike driving into her skull between her eyes, just below the tip of her arrow. 

“We were hoping you could tell us,” Yang said. Her voice was faint as if it came from far away. 

Blake slowly came back to herself. She was sitting in Gambol’s saddle, leaning against the rolls of supplies tied up in the back. Her clothes were only a little bit damp, and the sun was about a handspan above the horizon. They were flying low, Gambol’s feet skimming the ocean that was still and calm. Ruby kneeled beside her, face tight with concern. All Blake could see of Yang was her loose golden hair whipping in the wind in front of the saddle. With a start, she realized Yang was on Gambol’s head. She was flying her bison. Why was she flying her bison?

“The storm!” Blake exclaimed, memories starting to come back. They were alive! She looked around frantically, wondering how the weather could be so clear. “Where did it go?”

“You banished it. It totally skedaddled when you went all Avatar style on it. Also, were you lying to us when you said you couldn’t bend water? Because I’m pretty sure that was the most impressive waterbending I’ve ever seen,” Ruby said.

“Ruby, you think every feat of bending is the most impressive you’ve ever seen,” Yang said, craning her neck in order to talk to them.

“I love bending ok! But I will push you off this bison if you don’t think what Blake did was beyond amazing.”

“Don’t worry, I agree with you.” Her answer was distracted. She kept turning to face forward as if she had to steer Gambol through pillars of stone rather than across open water.

“She’s pretty good at flying herself, you know,” Blake said dryly.

“Oh thank the spirits. I was pretty sure, but I couldn’t leave it up to chance.” Yang turned, dropping the reins completely. “Can I come back there so we can have an actual conversation.”

“Yes.” Yang scrambled over the rim of the saddle, coming to rest cross-legged in front of Blake and Ruby. She drummed her fingers against her knees.

“So Blake,” Yang began, “that was some pretty powerful bending there.”

“I gathered,” Blake said.

“Why were you glowing?” Ruby blurted out. Yang’s hand went to the bridge of her nose.

“I’m not really sure,” Blake said hesitantly. “I think I might have done it before, but I don’t really remember.”

“Is it some kind of Avatar thing?” Blake shrugged. Her guess was as good as Yang’s. She may have been the Avatar, but that didn’t mean she knew anything about it. The only people she trusted to teach her were long gone. And after so long without one, she doubted there was anyone left with more than scraps of knowledge about the Avatar’s powers, beyond the standard legends.

“Whatever you did, it was so cool! You saved us, Blake,” Ruby said. 

“Yeah, see! You just have to start small. Well, dispersing a storm isn’t really small, but you saved the four of us. We just have to bank you some wins, get your confidence up.” Blake’s eyes widened at the sisters’ praise.

“I...guess I did,” she said. 

Doubt was pushed to the back of her mind, driven away by the brilliant smiles of the sisters before her. Unable to summon any words of gratitude, she leaned her head against Ruby’s shoulder. Yang reached over to place a hand on her knee. Blake could feel the warmth of her skin through her clothes, and it spread quickly to her cheeks. She didn’t think it had anything to do with Yang being a firebender.

“We still have a long way to go,” Blake said, breaking the moment. “You guys are still sure you want to come with me?”

“Blake, you can ask us a hundred times. The answer will always be yes,” Ruby said.

“I don’t think there’s any way we can leave you now,” Yang agreed. Blake allowed herself to be satisfied with their answers. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, thanks so much for reading! Hope you all enjoyed!


	6. Chapter 6

The clouds were low as they flew through the mountains around the Northern Air temple. To fly below them, Gambol had to weave between the peaks so they could see where they were going. A hundred years had eroded many of the landmarks, making the topography below seem unfamiliar. However, Blake and Gambol had made this trip many times. The Northern Air Temple was where they first met. It was where Blake’s secondary master and Kali’s secret paramour lived. 

Blake wondered if Ghira survived the initial attack. He was probably gone now – it had been too long – but thinking about his life being cut short hurt. It was bad enough having a glimpse at Kali’s fate as she fled. Seeing the Northern Temple would help her reconcile reality with her memories.

Her hands were slick with sweat on the reins. She kept having to wipe them off on her robes. What would be waiting for them? An ancient battlefield, probably. The thought of an Air Temple desecrated in such a way made bile rise in Blake’s throat. The Air Nomads were peaceful. It wasn’t fair they were the first to experience the Fire Nation’s wrath. It was Blake’s fault. She was the real target of the genocide.

As they came closer and closer to the temple, the clouds began to clear. The air warmed noticeably. They were getting close. Blake recognized the hook-peak mountain that was visible from the temple on clear days. She considered airbending the clouds away to grant Ruby and Yang a better first glance when suddenly they cleared and the temple was in sight.

Balanced precariously on the top of a mountain, the temple consisted of several towers of varying heights. They were all but stacked on each other, fighting for space on the tiny peak. The temple had a rough cone shape, with the tallest tower at the very center. Green and yellow roof tiles provided accents against the stark white walls.

“Wow, it’s beautiful,” Ruby said. Blake had to agree, though the ache of longing filled her chest. From this far away, she couldn’t see any damage the temple no doubt sustained during the attack. She imagined scorched and crumbling walls, half-hidden by the snow.

“What’s that in the air?” Yang asked. Blake squinted to better see what she was pointing at. Her jaw dropped when she finally noticed. There were  _ people _ flying through the air!

“Airbenders!” Ruby exclaimed. Blake was too stunned to agree. She watched familiar glider shapes swoop through the air, the way they did when she visited here a hundred years ago. “I had no idea anyone survived! Wow, that’s incredible.”

“They’re not airbenders,” Blake said sullenly, not recognizing the patterns they flew.

“Uh, they’re  _ flying _ , Blake. Non-airbenders can’t fly.”

“They’re gliding. I can tell by the way they move. They don’t have any spirit.” She guided Gambol closer, to better show her companions what she could see from a distance.

Several of the gliders cried out as they approached. They circled cautiously around the bison, keeping their distance without impeeding. All except for one, who broke away from the pack to pull up next to Gambol.

“That’s a sky bison!” The girl cried. Her long red hair streamed out behind her, and she sat in a chair with a sail attached to it. Blake’s eyes narrowed as the girl suddenly whooped. “Hang on for a moment, please. There’s an updraft.” She threw her weight to the side and immediately the glider-chair started to roll. Her joyful laughter overpowered the wind as she soared upward.

“She seems pretty spirited,” Yang said. The girl pulled off a full inverted loop before steering to fly next to Gambol again.

Blake’s glider leaped to her hand. She popped it open and before Yang and Ruby could protest, leaped off of Gambol. She fell for a stomach-churning distance before popping open her glider and soaring back up, corkscrewing the whole way. She swooped between the girl and her bison, glaring a challenge out of the corner of her eye.

“Woah, that was incredible!” The girl cried, unphased. “Let’s see if you can keep up!” She shifted her weight again, but instead of going into a full roll, she banked to the left sharply. Blake followed, carving a perfect arc through the air and leaving Gambol to figure out her own landing strategy.

The girl led them high into the air, performing complicated maneuvers for Blake to replicate. She did so perfectly. Gliding was an elementary aspect of airbending, so she watched the other girl carefully, trying to figure out how she replicated it. Her face was set in a look of fierce concentration. Blake smirked.

“You think this is difficult?” She yelled. “Watch this.” Letting go with her left hand and foot, Blake rolled around her glider in midair, bending a gust of wind to propel herself. She planted her left foot on top of it at the juncture of the front fans and shifted her right foot to stand above the rear fans. Then, she let go with her right hand and stood.

Keeping her knees bent for balance, she surfed through the air in the completely unorthodox position atop her glider. Her balance was shaky, but it was a maneuver that could only be done by an Airbender controlling the currents around the glider. 

“That was pretty cool,” the girl said when Blake finally lost her balance and had to shift back to the standard position. “I can’t do that, but watch this!” She peeled off and Blake let her go, watching her hand fall to a lever on the side of her chair.

She watched the girl’s progress across the sky, trailing thick gray smoke behind her. Blake scowled as her sky art began to take shape. It was an artistic rendering of Blake’s grumpy face.

Once the work was complete, the girl swooped low, rocketing toward the temple. There was a long, flat courtyard that was a perfect place to land. Gambol’s enormous white figure was already there. Blake and her rival touched down amidst a field of cheering people, many standing near gliders of their own.

“You’re a truly impressive flyer, my friend,” the girl said as two people stepped forward to remove the glider from her chair. She wheeled around to face Blake, making no move to stand. Blake realized that the glider-chair was not just a more comfortable device to fly in. The girl was paralyzed.

“You’re...not bad,” Blake said.

“Not bad? That was hilarious! You’re a great artist,” Ruby snickered as she approached. Yang punched her in the shoulder.

“I will say, you’re one of the strangest groups of people I’ve ever seen,” the girl said. Her hand flew to her mouth as soon as she spoke. “Oops! Sorry, that was rude.”

“No worries. We’re pretty interesting,” Yang said. “I’m–”

“Fire Nation!” The cry came from above. A girl dropped from the sky, hammer slamming into the ground where Yang stood a moment before. Yang only just managed to step out of the way.

Her glider clattered to the ground a short distance away as the girl with the hammer put herself between the sisters and the girl in the wheelchair. Blake couldn’t believe she could carry that massive piece of metal on her glider without any airbending. She glared at Yang and Ruby, who looked frantically to Blake.

“It’s ok,” she said, stepping into her sightline. “They’re with me. They’re not going to hurt you.”

“What’s an airbender doing with two girls from the fire nation?” A boy with long black hair stepped up to stand shoulder to shoulder with Hammer Girl. While not as outright aggressive as her, he held himself at the ready for a fight. 

“Not just any airbender,” Ruby said. “The Avatar!” A murmur went up through the crowd.

“We should take them to Jaune,” the girl in the wheelchair said. “They’re not any threat. I can tell.”

“You flew with her for five minutes, Pyrrha,” Hammer Girl scoffed. Pyrrha’s eyes widened.

“Wow, I totally did! I showed up the Avatar!” She grinned from ear to ear. “Sorry about that! I was just having fun.”

“Don’t even worry about it,” Yang said before Blake could growl at her. “Who’s Jaune? And how are you all here?”

“Jaune’s the reason we’re here,” Pyrrha said. Hammer Girl grumbled under her breath. “Oh, take it easy Nora.”

“I’m Ruby. This is Yang and Blake.” She stepped forward to shake Pyrrha’s hand. “Your gliders are  _ so cool _ . How do they work? Can I try one out?”

“You’ll have to ask Ren about the details,” Pyrrha nodded at the boy standing just behind Nora. “But first we should probably talk to Jaune. You aren’t here as a precursor for an invasion, are you?” She leveled an intense stare at Ruby and Yang that conflicted so heavily with the friendliness she’d shown so far it made Blake take a step back.

“We’re actually on the run from The Fire Nation right now,” Yang explained. “That’s partially why we’re here.”

“I don’t see the problem, then. Come on!” Pyrrha wheeled herself toward the temple, not looking back to see them fall in behind her.

Blake did her best to ignore the glares Nora was giving her as she took in the rest of the temple. It was very different from how she remembered it. Memories of the old overlaid what she was seeing now. Many of the stairs had been half or fully converted into ramps for Pyrrha's sake. The underlying architecture was crumbling, murals faded. It would have been invisible to anyone who didn’t know it was there. Blake’s stomach churned as she saw pipes bursting out of a sacred wall painting depicting the history of the Air Nomads. Ruby and Pyrrha were chatting excitedly about the many improvements that had been made, but all Blake saw was a desecration.

“You alright?” Yang asked, disrupting her building anger.

“This is just wrong,” Blake said, gesturing at the mural. “They violated something holy.”

“I’m sure they didn’t mean to,” Yang said, staring up at the pipes with a new light in her eyes. “Though I can see how this would be upsetting. I don’t know how I’d feel if Patch was taken over and remodeled like this.”

“I’m willing to hear these people out, but if they don’t have a good reason for being here I’m tearing this all down myself.” The promise came out darker than she intended. Yang reached out to take her hand. She said nothing. She didn’t have to.

The climbed to the very top of the temple, utilizing a series of pulley operated elevators for when the stairs became too steep for Pyrrha’s wheelchair. Blake had to suppress her rage the entire way. It was helpful seeing the elevators providing accessibility. Blake just hated the cost.

The final elevator they took was too small for everyone to go up at once. Pyrrha fell back to wait for a second one with Blake and Yang, sending the other three up ahead. 

“It must be pretty different than what you’re used to,” she said.

“A little.” Blake forced out the words through gritted teeth.

“How’d you guys end up here anyway?” Yang asked as they stepped onto the lift.

“Oh, we’re refugees,” Pyrrha said. “The Fire Nation destroyed our village. That’s why you’ll have to forgive Nora for her paranoia.” She sent a pointed look at Nora as they reached the next floor, at the very top of the highest tower.

“They started it!” Nora protested. “Though you guys aren’t anything like those soldiers.”

“Pyrrha is the reason we escaped,” Ren said. “She held off the soldiers single-handedly so we would have time to run.”

“And it cost her more than it should have,” a new voice made them all turn. Approaching was a boy in ill-fitting armor, blonde hair long and falling into his shadowed eyes. 

“My injuries from that day made it so I can no longer walk,” Pyrrha explained. “Jaune, don’t scare away our guests.”

“Guests, huh?” At Pyrrha’s admonition, the shadow faded from his gaze. “Sorry. I saw red and it sent me to a bad place. If Pyrrha vouches for you, that’s fine.” He turned without another word and made his way through a door at the end of the hallway.

“He...had a rough time while we were displaced,” Pyrrha said. “Someone had to step up and lead us. And, well, the responsibility fell to him. Come on, we need to talk.” She wheeled after Jaune.

They entered what appeared to be some kind of inventor’s workshop. Blueprints were pasted to the walls, spread across desks, and rolled up on shelves. Models in various stages of completion covered every available surface along with tools and scrap material. Ruby was practically drooling as she took it all in.

“Who’s glorious workshop is this?” She asked.

“That would be mine,” Ren said.

“We kind of use it as mission control, though,” Pyrrha said. Jaune leaned against the main desk and crossed his arms, surveying the trio.

“So. What brings an airbender and two Fire Nation kids to the Northern Air Temple?” He asked. “And how is it possible an airbender is here?”

“It’s a long story,” Blake said. “Suffice to say, I’m the Avatar and I was trapped in stasis for a hundred years. These two found me, and now we’re trying to bring balance back to the world.”

“No kidding,” Nora said.

“That’s all well and good, but what help could we possibly be?” Jaune asked. “I’ve read up about the Air Nomads since we settled here. Those tattoos mean you’re a master. Not that any of us can help you with airbending. Most of us are non-benders.”

“This is actually more of a pit stop,” Yang said. “We’re on our way to the North Pole so that Blake can master waterbending.” The refugees exchanged a look.

“If you go to the North Pole dressed like that, you’ll be shot down immediately,” Pyrrha said. “They’re extremely isolationist. At the first sign of the Fire Nation, their motto is attack first, ask questions later.”

“Even  _ we _ barely escaped with our skin intact,” Nora said. “They turned away refugees who crossed an ocean. It’ll be a miracle if they let you in.”

“I’m the Avatar. They have to,” Blake said.

“We should at least get your friends some less conspicuous clothing,” Ren said. “That way you might actually get to talk to them.”

“Of course, you’re welcome to stay here as long as you want,” Pyrrha said. “This was your people’s home before it was ours. I just hope you’ll let us coexist.”

“As long as you don’t destroy any more sacred murals,” Blake growled. Jaune looked down at the floor, embarrassed.

“Admittedly, we got a little carried away,” he said. “But Ren just has so many ideas that help improve our lives, it’d be a waste not to implement them.” Blake opened her mouth to give them a piece of her mind about implementing blasphemous inventions when Ruby yelped as a whole shelf of scrolls collapsed around her.

“Sorry!” She cried from under a mountain of blueprints. “Woah, what’s this?” Her eyes were glued to one scroll that fell open in front of her.

“Plans for a collapsable scythe. Haven’t gotten it to work yet, but that technology could revolutionize our defenses,” Ren said. “Though the project was...put on hold for a while.” He glanced sideways at Nora.

“That explosion was not my fault!” She cried.

“Explosion?” Blake’s eye twitched.

“Nothing was damaged!” Jaune rushed to assuage Blake. “There was just some weird stuff here when we arrived.”

“Serves you right for poking your noses where you don’t belong,” Blake muttered.

“This is actually really cool,” Ruby said, looking over the plans. Her head popped up and she looked at Yang with pleading eyes. Yang sighed.

“She’s going to want to help you with that,” she said apologetically. “Can we spare the time?” She asked Blake. The full force of Ruby’s pleading turned to her and nearly bowled her over. Yang was truly strong not to give in immediately.

“I suppose a few days wouldn’t be a problem,” Blake said.

“Woohoo! Thanks, Blake. This is going to be awesome!” Ruby leaped to her feet, sending scrolls flying everywhere. Jaune fell to his knees and tried to collect them before they were lost forever.

“Obviously there’s plenty of space,” he said with an armful of scrolls. “Set up wherever you like.” Ruby’s eyes gleamed dangerously.

“I think this is going to be a beneficial partnership.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you for reading! I know this has been slow but I'm really enjoying writing it, so I hope you all enjoy the read!


	7. Chapter 7

Blake and Yang left the workshop with Ruby chattering Ren’s ear off on one side and Nora joining in on the other. Shutting the door behind them was a mercy, though Yang felt bad about leaving Ren to his fate. She knew just how over the top Ruby could get when she was excited. Every time their uncle came to town, Ruby nearly leveled the house.

“If you’re going to be here for a while, I can show you around,” Pyrrha offered. “There’s one place that I think you should really see.” Yang watched Blake carefully for her answer. She saw her eyebrows pinch together, heard the polite but firm refusal before she even spoke. 

“I’d love to see it,” Yang said before she could speak. They had a silent battle of expressions, Yang imploring her to at least give Pyrrha the benefit of the doubt. She knew she won before Blake even spoke

“Fine,” she acquiesced. Pyrrha beamed. She looked at Jaune, who followed them out of the workshop.

“I’ll meet up with you for dinner, Jaune. Come on, you two!” She rocketed away, leaving the trio stunned behind her.

“I’ll see what I can do about getting you and your sister some new clothes,” Jaune said before Blake and Yang took off.

Pyrrha sailed down ramps with reckless abandon. Several times she tipped onto a single wheel taking too sharp a turn. Yang lost the ability to breathe every time she did and started lagging behind. She nearly fainted when they came to a precarious bit of scaffolding without a railing to shield them from the drop. She heard Blake suck in a breath when Pyrrha drifted around the first turn, tipping dangerously over the edge.

Using her staff, Blake bent a gust of air to push Pyrrha back onto two wheels. Surprisingly, Pyrrha laughed. She stopped, waiting for them to catch up. Blake reached her first. Yang needed a moment to get her legs under her control again.

“I do this all the time, it’s quite alright,” she said. Blake took one look at the sheer drop she nearly went over and gave her a flat look. “Trust me, alright?”

“Sorry, we’re not used to the ramps,” Yang puffed, jogging up behind them. “Whew. That thing can really move.” She nodded at Pyrrha’s wheelchair.

“Am I going to fast? Sorry, but I’m excited to show you,” Pyrrha said. She slowed down noticeably for both their sakes, however. “Anyway, Ren made sure I wouldn’t ever get bored with it.” She patted one of the wheels of her chair. “I think he feels guilty.” 

“Didn’t the Fire Nation do this to you? It wasn’t his fault.” Blake said. Yang stared at Blake. Couldn’t she see she was spouting the same thing she herself needed to hear? Yang knew guilt was a heavy weight on her shoulders. Maybe that was why she knew exactly what to say. She just didn’t believe it yet.

“They did. He wonders if only he made me a better weapon, could I have come out alright,” Pyrrha said. Her pace slowed and she took on a thoughtful expression. “I don’t regret what happened. My choices are my own and I’d gladly make them again.” A visible shudder went through Blake. Yang wondered if this conversation was striking as much a chord as she thought it might have been.

"I’m sorry I wasn’t around to stop it,” Blake said.

“Don’t be. Do you believe in destiny? It has a funny way of preparing us for what we need to do when we need to do it. There’s no use in worrying about what the past could have been like, only that you’re here to fight now.” They reached a dead end, and Pyrrha halted in front of a massive door. “Hey, we’re here!”

“Woah, what is that?” Yang asked, staring with her mouth agape at a giant mess of tubing hanging from the wall. As she took it in, she realized they were looking at a massive door.

“A puzzle that’s infuriated Ren for some time now,” Pyrrha said. “He’s starting to think only an airbender can get in.”

Blake was silent as she stepped forward and placed one hand on the door. Her head bowed while her fingers brushed the swirling symbol of the Air Nomads. Yang looked closer, noticing three such symbols on bits of piping that didn’t line up with the rest of the design. With a jolt, she realized they were locks. Air-powered locks! This place was truly incredible.

“I’ve always wanted to know what was inside,” Pyrrha said wistfully. Blake’s hand fell from the door. Yang watched her for any signs of distress, worried that perhaps this was the final straw to turn the power she wielded during the storm on Pyrrha and the refugees. 

"Thank you for showing me,” she said, voice calm, "but you were right. Airbending is the only way to open this door. It’s nice to know that part of the temple will never change. I’d like to keep it that way.”

“I totally understand. I just wanted you to know it was here.” Pyrrha pushed hard on one wheel, turning herself around. “Come on. Let’s find you guys a place to stay for the time being.”

Letting Pyrrha take the lead again, Yang fell back to walk next to Blake. “You alright?”

Blake gave a small, half-smile. “I think I will be. Out of any hands this temple could have fallen into, I’m glad it was them.”

"Must be destiny, huh?” Yang asked, following Blake’s line of sight to Pyrrha’s swinging ponytail. Blake hummed in response, and Yang let her fall into a contemplative silence.

* * *

“The mechanism had its kinks, but we worked those out last night and we’ll totally have a prototype ready by the end of today,” Ruby said. Yang ducked as oatmeal flew toward her head. Ruby was unfortunately unaware she was still holding her spoon as she talked animatedly. They’d only just gotten new clothes from the refugees. Yang didn’t want to have to scrub stains out of them so soon. “They really have a good system down. Thanks for insisting we come here, Blake.”

“I think you’re getting more out of it than I am,” Blake drawled. Ruby frowned.

“Oh come on, they’re not that bad. I thought Pyrrha was growing on you.”

“Like a mold.”

“Please,” Yang nudged her, “you were having plenty of fun when she was showing you how her glider chair worked.” Blake ducked her head to hide the tiny smile growing on her face.

“She...has spirit, I’ll give you that.” Yang beamed at the admission. Pyrrha had taken it upon herself to keep them entertained while Ruby locked herself in the workshop. Yang could tell that Blake was slowly coming around to the idea of people living here again. It was certainly better than the temple standing empty and haunted.

“Anyway, am I hearing that you only need one more day here? We really should be getting on to the North Pole,” Yang said. 

“Yeah, that’s fine with me,” Ruby said. “I need to get going if we want to move on as soon as possible. See you guys tonight!” Blake’s smile disappeared as Ruby did, and Yang narrowed her eyes. For all her objections to the refugee’s lifestyle, Blake was strangely hesitant to move on from the temple. Maybe Yang would be able to bring up the subject today when it was just her and Blake so she didn’t feel overwhelmed. 

“So what do you want to do today? More flying with Pyrrha?” Yang asked.

"Actually, there’s something that’s been bothering me,” Blake said. Yang tried not to look too excited she was bringing up the topic on her own. “I like Pyrrha a lot. I want to open that door for her.”

“Oh?” Yang’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “What brought that on?”

“A feeling,” Blake said vaguely. “I don’t know. As much as I’d like to preserve it, I’d like at least one person to be around to continue our culture, even just the knowledge of it. Besides, even I’ve never seen what’s inside. I’m curious.”

“Alright, if you’re sure.” Yang tapped her fingers against the table. “I’m going to see if Nora can set me up on one of those gliders. I’d love to try it out.”

“You can come too, of course.” Blake’s voice was light, but her shoulders were tense. “I...want you to see.”

“Thank you,” Yang said, trying to convey so much in those two little words through the lump in her throat. They were close enough that their elbows brushed, and Yang wanted to lean more wholely into her. She restrained herself. She didn’t want to scare Blake away.

“I see that Ruby is an early riser,” Pyrrha’s voice came from the other side of the door Ruby left slightly ajar. “May I come in?”

“Yes,” Blake’s voice was strained. The door opened and Pyrrha rolled inside.

"I thought today we could take a look at this interesting field of pillars. Jaune thinks it’s some kind of game, but maybe you could tell us more about it,” She said.

“Oh, you must mean the airball field,” Blake said. “Maybe. But I was giving it some thought after we spent the rest of the day together. If you still want, I’d be happy to open that door for you.” Pyrrha bolted upright in her chair.

“Really? I hope I didn’t pressure you into changing your mind.”

"You didn’t. Promise.” Blake rose to her feet. “We can go right now. You’ve waited long enough.”

They made their way across ramps and up elevators to the secluded, untouched hallway. Excitement squirmed in Yang’s belly. As much as she wanted to respect Blake’s wishes, she’d been beyond curious about what was behind the door. 

“Will you hold this for me?” Blake asked, extending her staff out to Yang when they arrived. She took it without a word, and Blake stepped up to the door.

Yang and Pyrrha hung back while Blake centered herself with a deep breath. She thrust both hands toward the open ends of the tubing, palms out. Hair and clothes whipped in the wind as a hollow whistle sounded through the pipes. As Blake kept up the blasts of air, the unaligned bits of tubing wobbled until they flipped into alignment, letting out a clear note when they did. Only when all three pieces were aligned did Blake let her hands fall. The wind died in the hallway and the door swung open on rusty hinges.

“Are you ready?” Yang asked, handing over Blake’s staff. Blake didn’t say a word as she stepped inside.

The room was dark but for a slice of light pouring in from the hallway. Yang held out her hand and flames appeared in her palm to drive away the shadows. She yelped in fright at the figures that loomed out of the darkness, her fire nearly going out. She forced herself to remain calm as Blake stalked forward.

The figures turned out to be statues. The one closest to the entrance was so old the features were mostly worn away. A plaque at its feet had the remains of ancient writing too worn and archaic to be understandable. There were more statues stretching out on either side of it, spiraling in toward the center of the huge, circular room.

“This is...not what I expected,” Blake said, nodding at a statue closer to the center. It was newer than the one they first approached, features still discernible. It clearly wore Water Tribe regalia. 

“Maybe we’ll find something legible closer to the center,” Yang suggested.

The only sound as they navigated the field of statues was Yang’s footsteps and Pyrrha’s creaking chair. Blake was silent, nearly as unliving as the other statues. She stared at each face they passed intensely. It made her lag slightly behind Yang and Pyrrha, who reached the statue at the center first. 

It was a man in elegant Fire Nation robes. His hair was pulled into a top knot, though a few strands escaped and hung shaggily over his forehead. His chin was raised high as he stared out with sightless eyes. The sculpture posed him so that one hand was held stiffly behind his back while the other rested on the top of a cane. Yang held her hand up to the engraving at the foot of it to illuminate it.

“Blake!” She cried. “Come here. I think I know who these people are.”

Blake wandered through the field of statues in a stupor. She bent down to examine the plaque which had a name and series of dates on it. “Avatar...Ozpin.” She jolted upright.

“It’s a hall of Avatars,” Pyrrha breathed, looking up from the statue of a woman in Earth Kingdom finery to Avatar Ozpin’s right.

“These are your past lives, Blake,” Yang said. Blake stared up at Ozpin’s haughty face. There was a curl to his mouth that suggested the man had great audacity, but it was nearly overshadowed by his presence among the other Avatars. The artist was truly talented to be able to communicate hints of personality among such an awe-inspiring hall.

“He was Fire Nation,” Blake murmured. Almost against her will, her fingers reached out to brush against Ozpin’s cane. 

“You’ve been Fire Nation a lot,” Yang said, eyes catching on the topknots scattered through the crowd. “And Earth and Water, too.”

“Hey, what’s over here?” Pyrrha called. “I think there’s something on the wall. Yang, will you come to light it up, please?”

Yang paused, having eyes only for Blake. To her relief, Blake turned away from the statue, trance seemingly gone. They walked over to Pyrrha to look at what she found so interesting.

The mural made the Avatar statues seem like a child’s artwork. It was a brilliant swirl of paints and carvings, so lifelike Yang could have sworn it moved when she looked from one part to another. The uneven light cast by her flames only highlighted the effect. Two amorphous beings dominated the scene, with a mob of humanity at their feet. Floating in the air between them were four objects; a crown, a lamp, a staff, and a sword.

“It’s the Great Spirits’ gifts to humanity,” Pyrrha said, reading from the story carved into the wall so artfully it looked like part of the mural rather than words. “Choice, knowledge, creation, and destruction. It was said that humanity took these gifts and formed four nations, each using the power from their given Relic.

“In order to maintain balance, the Great Spirits warned humanity that the Relics were to be used separately, never in conjunction. But humanity was greedy,” her voice darkened as she rolled past a more grotesque corner of the mural, tucked away under the initial scene. “They fought over these relics until they learned how to innately use their powers without needing the physical manifestations of them. The Great Spirits saw their gift was too great, and so they imbued one trusted human with the power of all four Relics, entrusting them to maintain the balance they so clearly didn’t understand.” She was breathless when she finished speaking. Yang was too, though she hadn’t spoken. 

“This is the origin of the Avatar,” Blake said. “I wonder what happened to the relics.”

“They were hidden away,” Ren’s voice gave Yang her second heart attack of the hour. The three of them spun around to find him standing in the doorway, outlined in light. Yang subconsciously stepped in front of Blake as he made his way inside. “There are writings from the monks.” He nodded at a small shelf of scrolls just to the side of the murals.

“I thought you said you couldn’t figure out how to get in here,” Pyrrha said warily. Her uneasiness made Yang even more on edge. For her to have known him for so long and still have a hint of distrust in her voice was nerve-wracking.

“Calm down, I’m not evil. I know that’s what you’re thinking,” Ren said. He stepped up to the mural, eyes running over it with familiarity. “I’ve studied everything I could get my hands on in order to improve my designs, but this is the one thing I could never take advantage of. It’s too dangerous, as you can see. I let you all think I couldn't manage to get in here to keep the knowledge safe.” 

“But you still investigated them,” Yang said. While Pyrrha relaxed with his reassurance, Yang and Blake were still coiled with tension.

“I did. And I learned why the Fire Nation is so close to winning the war. Their imperialism is because they’ve been tracking the Relics, obtaining them one by one. They already had the Sword of Destruction. And once they got the Staff of Creation, well, they’re ruled by an immortal Fire Lord because of it.”

“This can’t be true,” Blake said, horrified. “I can’t go up against that! We’re doomed.”

“How many Relics does Fire Lord Salem have?” Yang demanded.

“From what I’ve read, three. The Air Nomad Genocide was an attempt to get the fourth, but it was lost in the chaos.” He eyed Blake carefully. “There were theories that the Avatar would be able to track down the Relics. You have an affinity for them. It’s probably why the Fire Nation is hunting you.”

“Blake, it’s ok,” Yang said, stepping in when she noticed Blake’s chest heaving as she struggled to breathe. She reached out to take her hand. Her skin was nearly as cold as when she emerged from the ice. “You don’t have to face it alone. The Air Relic has been lost for a hundred years. We have time to figure something out.” 

As if the universe was trying to prove her wrong, a cacophony of tolling bells echoed throughout the entire temple. Ren and Pyrrha both went rigid.

“What now?” Yang groaned. She could see Blake starting to spiral. They didn’t need another disaster on top of what they had just learned. 

“Those are the alarm bells,” Ren said. “The Fire Nation is here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that happened!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YEEHAW shiz is about to get real, yall!

“We don’t have any time to waste,” Pyrrha said. She made for the door, the others close on her wheels. They dashed to the windows in the hallway, trying to get a glimpse down into the landing courtyard.

Yang’s blood ran cold as she watched arcing chains shoot up from below. They slammed into the courtyard, smashing the paving stones as they found a secure hold. The chains pulled taught. Moments later, the grunting of komodo rhino’s precluded the beasts spilling over the edge of the temple.

“There’s no time. Organize an aerial defense,” Blake ordered. “I’ll see if I can stall them.” Her glider popped open with a whoosh and she climbed up on the windowsill.

“You’re not going down there alone,” Yang said. Blake tore her eyes away from the growing number of rhinos and turned her intense golden stare on Yang. Their standoff was silent, but Yang wasn’t about to give in

“You should hang on tightly then,” Blake said. She held out a hand to help Yang up onto the windowsill.

“Don’t do anything stupid,” Ren said. “Except for what you’re about to do.”

Blake glanced over her shoulder at Pyrrha. “If this works, I think I win our little contest.” Then, she stepped into thin air, dragging Yang with her.

Gliding down into the courtyard was one of the most terrifying and ungraceful things Yang had ever done. The drop below them was nearly enough to make her vomit. She could barely count it as flying; it was more akin to dignified falling. Her arms locked around Blake as she desperately prayed she wouldn’t let them fall off the mountain.

They landed heavily. Yang’s knees ached from the impact as they held tight to each other just to stay upright. Her legs were shaking more than she wanted to admit. At least she hadn’t screamed the whole way down.

“Maybe we shouldn’t do that again,” Yang said, gasping for breath.

“Not without some practice,” Blake agreed. They didn’t have time to exchange any more words. Blake planted her staff on the ground as they stood firm and alone against a dozen komodo rhinos, each bearing at least two heavily armored soldiers. Yang swallowed her fear in the hopes they could buy the refugees enough time to mount a proper defense.

The lead rhino lumbered to a stop mere feet from them, it’s enormous, curved horn leveling at Blake’s chest. The gold detailing its barding told Yang exactly who owned it. Indeed, sitting in the saddle with perfect posture was Princess Cinder herself. Her face was twisted in fury directed straight at the airbender in front of her, expression made even more terrifying by the scar blooming across her left eye. Blake stood firm as though she was already a statue in the Hall of Avatars. With her whole attention on the one rhino, Yang kept her eye on the others, which halted to form a semi-circle around them.

“Leave this temple alone. This is sacred ground and you are not welcome here,” Blake said, voice ringing across the courtyard. With her shoulders thrown back and her chin held high, she looked like a pinnacle of strength. The wind blew back her shoulder-length hair. Blake made no effort to cover her arrow. She was facing this. No tricks. No hiding. No running.

“Well well, it’s the Avatar.” Princess Cinder hauled on the reins of her rhino, turning it to the side so she could better address them. Yang hated how the extra height made it easy for her to look down at them with disdain. “It looks like you’re finally done running. Too bad your cowardice has doomed thousands before you finally decided to do something about it.” The Princess’ two lieutenants chuckled from their shared rhino to her left. Yang glared at them, grinding her teeth. She restrained herself to let Blake handle this, though she was itching to burn the smug expressions off their faces.

“What do you want from me?” Blake cried. “Hasn’t the Fire Nation committed enough atrocities on these grounds?”

“What I want is to drag you back to the Fire Nation and restore my honor,” Cinder said. “Come with us, or we’ll burn this temple to the ground. This time, we’ll be sure to leave nothing but ash.”

“Yeah, that’s not happening,” Yang said, unable to control her outburst. “You’re going to leave before we throw you off this mountain.” Cinder’s burning gaze turned to Yang.

“So you’re the little peasant girl who thinks she can go up against fully trained soldiers. You did more damage to the forest than us, just so you know how utterly you failed,” she drawled. 

“By the way,” called one of her lieutenants. The gray-haired one. “The man we captured wouldn’t happen to be your father? I can see the family resemblance. You would be assured to know he’s very comfortable in the hole we threw him.” The smirk on his face was sadistic. Yang’s fists clenched and smoke rose from her knuckles. She barely felt Blake’s hand rest on her shoulder.

“If I go with you, will you swear to leave this place alone?” She said. Yang went rigid.

“Blake, don’t!” After what they just learned, she couldn’t be giving in now. Without Blake, she'd never get her dad back.

“It’s alright.” Blake’s gaze never left Cinder. “The Princess is right. It’s time I stopped running.”

“So glad to see you’ve come to your senses. Mercury, Emerald.” Cinder jerked her head at her lieutenants. Wordlessly, they hopped from their rhino. The boy, Mercury walked casually, trying to hide the tension in his muscles that told Yang he was itching for a fight as much as she was. The girl, Emerald, who had dark skin and green hair, pulled a set of manacles from a saddlebag before approaching Blake.

The tiniest smirk appeared on Blake’s face. “Oh, I never said I’d be coming quietly,” she said.

Without any further warning, she sliced her staff through the air, bending a gust of wind that knocked the two lieutenants to the ground. The rhinos spooked and broke formation as the unseen force battered their flanks. Their riders struggled to regain control and spread out to surround Blake and Yang.

“What happened to stalling?” Yang asked, putting her hands up and her back to Blake’s.

“I got sick of her talking down to us,” Blake said.

“Keep the Avatar alive! I don’t care about the other girl,” Cinder screamed. Yang felt heat at her back as the Princess blasted them with her crazy blue fire. Blake spun her staff in front of her, shielding them from the flames, before stepping forward to engage Emerald.

Yang punched toward the soldiers, sending several fire jabs their way before having to fall back into a defensive stance. The air turned hot as it filled with fire. She caught the fireballs sent their way and dispersed them harmlessly, protecting Blake's back as Blake protected her's. Hot coals flew, agitated by Blake’s airbending. When she had the chance, Yang directed her flames at the rhinos, hoping to spook the creatures that gave their opponents such an advantage. They were well trained and indifferent to firebending, though, and she quickly gave up the strategy.

She ducked as a blade flew toward her head. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mercury reaching for another knife up his sleeve. Yang prepared to counter him. He didn’t look like much of a fighter – he definitely wasn’t a bender – but growing up sparring with Ruby taught Yang not to underestimate non-benders. A knife to the throat could kill anyone, no matter their bending skill.

He cried out before either of them could attack. A sack full of grayish goo exploded against the side of his head, covering one of his eyes. Yang looked up as a triumphant cheer rose when it made contact. 

Pyrrha whooshed through the air, swooping dangerously close to the ground to throw her bomb at Mercury. She wasn’t the only one. Dozens of forms swooped above them, dropping various projectiles. Along with the goo bombs, rocks clobbered the soldiers, knocking them off their mounts. Mercury tried to wipe the goo out of his eye, only to get his hand stuck to his face when it turned out to be glue. He screamed in frustration

Yang’s hope soared at the sight of them. She glanced back at Blake, who was breathing heavily in the moment of respite the refugees bought them. Her hand trembled on her glider like she was debating something.

“Go,” Yang said. “I’ll be fine.” 

Without waiting to see if Blake was going to listen to her, she punched toward one of the soldiers, sending a stream of fire roaring at him. At the same time, she charged. While he was distracted blocking her attack, Yang planted one foot on the horn of his rhino and launched herself in the air. She reached back to propel herself with a small blast of fire from each hand. Flipping over the rhino, she kicked the soldier in the junction between his neck and shoulder where his armor was the weakest.

The soldier screamed in pain and fell off his rhino as Yang landed on the other side. No sooner did her feet touch the ground than she had to fall into a roll to avoid the rhino’s lashing tail. She rose onto one knee, surveying the cavalry scrambling to readjust now their prey was no longer encircled. Above her, Yang spotted a flash of orange among the greenish gliders of the refugees. Blake made it into the air, and she was raining down hell with the rest of them.

With a roar, Yang began to attack from behind, hitting the soldiers where they were vulnerable. She backed away, trying to find the wall of a tower so she couldn’t be surrounded. The soldiers were recovering from the aerial surprise and were starting to aim their fire blasts upwards. Yang needed to keep as much attention on herself as possible. There were at least three rhinos facing her, their soldiers readying their attack.

“Yang!” Nora’s yell made her look up. “Hit this one!” She blew past on a glider, dropping a larger canister on the approaching soldiers. Yang didn’t stop to think.

Her fire blast collided with the canister only a few feet above the soldier’s heads. It exploded with enough force to batter her eardrums, and Yang only just managed to fall into a crouch. She bent the flames that reached her into a harmless dome to protect herself. Even so, the heat was scalding, and the soldiers weren’t so lucky. They cried out as the explosion blasted them off their mounts. It was more powerful than anything Yang could produce on her own, and it spooked the rhinos into trampling their riders.

“You idiots! Fall back to me!” Cinder’s voice pierced through the chaos. 

The smoke from Yang and Nora’s explosion cleared and the soldiers hauled themselves upright, groaning. They stumbled back to their princess, who was sending enormous blasts and arcs of blue flame into the air. Her power chilled Yang to the bone. She’d never seen such a strong firebender before, not even her Uncle Qrow. The gliders stayed well out of her way, not daring to get too close lest she burn them out of the sky. Their projectiles were fewer and fewer. They were too far away to aim properly and chose to conserve their ammunition. 

Cinder’s forces regrouped, though several of them were on foot now. Yang gulped as the princess’s cold amber eyes fell on her, the only target in range. She glanced toward the stairs that lead higher up the temple before discarding the idea. The rhinos would be on her before she could take the first step. She pressed her palms against the cold stone of the tower at her back. Its strength steadied her as the rhinos approached. She took a small hint of satisfaction when she saw the hesitance in them. They were waiting for another trick. Yang hoped it would come soon.

She nearly fainted in relief when a low roar echoed off of the stone. A huge shadow fell over the riders as Gambol flew over them. They cowered as she landed hard in the courtyard. Her tail faced the soldiers, and she slammed it to the ground. The gust of wind she made from the motion was strong enough to make the rhinos stumble. The unmounted soldiers were blown back, including the two lieutenants.

“You don’t mess with my sister!” Ruby yelled from atop Gambol’s head. She turned to Yang, silver eyes wide with panic. “Get on, quick!”

“No need to tell me twice,” Yang said, already scrambling up Gambol’s side.

They took off before Cinder’s forces recovered, joining the gliders in the air. Accompanying Yang in the saddle was a dwindling number of bombs. The gliders were using Gambol to refuel while she hovered a safe distance away from the action. Yang despaired at how few they had left.

“This isn’t good,” Blake said, landing in the saddle beside Yang. Her glider closed with a whoosh. “Once we’re out of bombs, we’re finished.”

“Then let’s give them a fight,” Yang said.

“We could do that,” Ruby said, “or we could lead them away.” Her words made Yang pause. Now the adrenaline was fading, she realized how terrified she’d been in the courtyard. This was not a fight they could win.

“They _are_ here for Blake. It could work,” she admitted. Both sisters looked to Blake for a final decision.

“I’ll tell Pyrrha. We’ll keep up the assault until we’re out of bombs to antagonize them into following us. Hopefully, they’ll be too worried about losing us to stay back and destroy the temple. Stay high and keep us supplied.” Grabbing one of the bombs, she leaped off the bison.

“Thanks for the save there,” Yang said as Ruby climbed into the saddle to start handing the bombs to the gliders. Gambol hovered in the air well out of range of any fireballs. Yang was surprised at how comfortable she’d become on the bison. Certainly more comfortable than in the midst of a hostile battalion. It hardly felt like they were floating hundreds of feet above the ground. As long as she didn’t look down.

“Of course. You think I’m reliant on you, but you’d be paste if I wasn’t around to get you out of trouble,” Ruby said. Yang rolled her eyes.

“I wouldn’t go that far.” She bent down to grab a bomb to hide just how shaken she really was. There had been a moment when she’d been sure no rescue was going to come. And that would have been ok. She was the one to have insisted on going down to the courtyard with Blake. It would have been on her if that went worse than it did. Still, she couldn’t quite get a full breath with how tight her chest was. She focused on supplying the refugees so she wouldn’t have to worry about what could have happened.

Their second wave wasn’t nearly as effective, since the soldiers were ready for their tricks. Though, dropping the explosive bombs had Cinder hesitate to counter them once her own bending blew up in her face a few times. The bombs didn’t last long, and as the supplies dwindled, so did the number of gliders in the air. Eventually, it was only Gambol left.

Blake landed on Gambol’s head and picked up the reins, tossing her glider into the saddle. Her face was flushed with exertion, her shoulder-length hair mussed from the wind.

“Gambol, yip yip!” She tugged on the reins and Gambol turned in mid-air. Flicking her tail, she made one last dive toward the soldiers. They yelled and cowered as any sane person would facing a charging sky bison. Gambol pulled up just in time and shot back into the sky before any of them could recover.

They began their flight slowly until Blake was satisfied they were the real target. Once Cinder’s forces began to make their way back down the mountain, she urged Gambol up to full speed.

Yang collapsed bonelessly in the saddle as they left the temple behind. Her limbs were stone; she wouldn’t be able to bend so much as a spark if she tried. She thought training with Uncle Qrow was intense, but was nothing compared to a real battle. She was completely drained from it. The cool air whipping past was soothing against Yang’s burning skin. She closed her eyes, just for a moment.

“How dare you leave my sister like that?” Ruby’s admonition jerked Yang back to consciousness. She realized she was falling asleep.

“It was her idea,” Blake said.

“New rule. We don’t listen to Yang’s ideas anymore.” Yang slowly sat up, leaning against the edge of the saddle to keep herself upright. If her moment of respite was all she was going to get, so be it.

“Give her a break, Ruby,” she said. “I think that could have gone a lot worse. We all still have our eyebrows.”

“I’m worried about Pyrrha and the others,” Blake said. “Is this going to be enough to keep them safe?”

“It has to be,” Yang said firmly. “We did what we can and now we have bigger problems.”

“Yeah. What in the world are we going to do about the crazy princess on our tail?” Ruby asked. A crushing silence fell over them as Yang realized what they knew.

“I’d say that’s the least of our worries right now,” she said. “I’ll fill you in, but we found something that changes our entire mission. Blake?”

“Hmm?” She didn’t turn around. Yang braced herself to ask the difficult question.

“I know you don’t want to go to the North Pole,” she said. Best to get it out quickly, since Blake hadn’t admitted any of this out loud yet. “You don’t want to be the Avatar. Does–”

“Not anymore,” Blake said. Her voice was far too calm for how recently they were fighting for their lives. “I know what I have to do now. We can’t let any more people get hurt at the hands of the Fire Nation. I’m sorry I made you doubt me, but I know that now.”

“We never doubted you. Not for a second,” Ruby said. Blake finally turned. Her face was smoother than Yang had ever seen it, free of turmoil for the very first time since they met.

“Thank you,” she said. “I meant what I said in the courtyard. If standing up to fight is what it takes to fix my past mistakes, then I’ll fight to my last breath.”

“I’ll be with you,” Yang said immediately. “The whole way. It’s our best chance of saving our dad and the world.”

“Speaking of fighting!” Ruby dove for their supplies tied to the back of the saddle. She dug through them before pulling out a flat metal box. “Check this out.” She pressed a button and the device immediately expanded. Yang ducked, her dulled reflexes only just saving her from the end of an enormous scythe that popped out of the box.

“Watch it! Do you want to rescue me from a bunch of soldiers only to decapitate me immediately after?” 

“Yikes! I’m still getting the hang of it.” She laid the scythe over her lap and polished a blemish with her sleeve. “Ren really knows his stuff. Next time we run into Cinder, I’ll know how to use this thing. And hopefully, Blake will have some waterbending training. We’ll give them a better fight than they’ve ever seen.”

“We all have to get stronger.” Yang’s hands curled into fists. “She’s caught us off guard twice now. We can’t let that happen anymore.”

“Now we know what we’re actually up against, we’ll stand a better chance,” Blake said. “Knowledge is always the best weapon to have. It helps you prepare, pick a strategy.” Yang hummed in agreement. Having their goal narrowed down was far more comforting than the vague ‘save the world’ plan they had upon setting out. She only hoped they would be able to apply their knowledge properly. Too much was at stake for them to ruin it now.


	9. Chapter 9

The mists around the temple that made it so difficult to find upon arrival helped cover their escape from Cinder. Blake purposefully slowed Gambol enough to ensure that Cinder really was on their trail before picking up evasive maneuvers. The last thing she wanted was to doom Pyrrha and the others by bringing their enemy right to their door. Cinder had trouble navigating the mountainous terrain, and they’d all but lost her by the time they reached the ocean.

According to Ruby and Yang, the Northern Water Tribe had stayed mostly untouched by the war. Blake’s first thought was to be impressed by the strength of their defenses. After days of searching, she realized it was more because they were impossible to find. She misjudged just how _vast_ the ocean was. Ruby nearly fell off Gambol in excitement as she pointed out their first iceberg. It was a sign they were going in the right direction, but that was days ago and they still hadn’t reached the main glacier. Though they were only false hope, at least the icebergs provided something solid for Gambol to rest on for a short time. The freezing water was uncomfortable even with her thick fur. 

The first night they spent on the ice was a relief even to Blake, even if it was frustrating being so close to their goal without any sign of it. Spending days on bisonback would put a strain on any close relationship. They were all starting to get testy with each other, even Ruby and Yang.

“Why doesn’t Gambol fly any higher so we can actually see where we’re going?” Yang asked when they took off for their second morning above the polar ocean.

“Because she’s been flying for days straight now and she’s tired.” Blake tried to soften the cutting edge to her words. She winced, hearing them come across that way despite her efforts. It wasn’t Yang she was cross with.

Yang folded her arms. The air shimmered with heat around her. “Well, can’t you just do your Avatar thing and give her a boost? Help her with the winds or something.”

“I can’t just “do the Avatar thing” as you so crudely put it. I don’t know how it happened that time with the storm.”

“You’re an airbender. You could be doing _something_.”

“Guys, please. If I’m the only one on lookout it’s going to take forever to find this place,” Ruby interrupted. “Three pairs of eyes are better than one.”

“Do you want me to follow Yang’s advice and do an airbender thing? Give you two the space you clearly need?” Blake asked, popping open her glider.

“You’d see the exact same thing that we are, just from a different angle. It’s just endless icebergs out here!” Yang cried.

“If you hate them so much, melt them,” Ruby snapped

“Do you know how much heat it takes to melt an iceberg?”

“Maybe if you shoot up enough fire the Water Tribe will take it as a signal and come rescue us.”

“Or they’ll take it as a signal that the Fire Navy is coming to attack them. Not that they would be able to, with all these damn icebergs.”

Blake let her glider close and put her head in her hands. She wished she was back in _her_ iceberg.

An echoing roar had her shooting upright. There was movement to their left, accompanied by cracking ice and splashing water. A pathway made of ice formed on the water’s surface, reaching up into the air to freeze around Gambol’s foot. The bison roared as she was dragged to the surface. Ice quickly encased her on all sides. She thrashed, cracking it initially. But the ice kept growing until even a ten-ton bison couldn’t break it. Blake summoned her staff to her hands with a gust of air as several double keeled longboats floated out from behind the icebergs. 

There were at least five or six warriors in thick blue parkas on each of them. Their bulky clothing and hoods pulled over their heads made it difficult to tell what gender they were. Their boats were propelled by no oars or sails. Blake recognized a few of them moving through fluid waterbending stances. It was safe to assume most if not all of them were waterbenders.

“State your name and business,” called a man at the prow of one of the boats. His voice was deep and gravelly, and he threw back his hood to display a brown warrior’s wolf tail. Blake couldn’t see the others, but she imagined the others bore similar marks of their station. “What are you doing in our waters?”

“Now’s your chance at diplomacy,” Yang muttered under her breath. All venom was gone, driven away with their boredom and hopelessness at being lost. She held her hands behind her head so as not to provoke the waterbenders. Ruby was doing the same.

Blake cleared her throat and stood atop Gambol’s head. She wobbled slightly, uncomfortable to have so many pairs of eyes on her. 

“Greetings, master warriors,” Blake said. Her voice warbled, and she took a moment to steady herself before continuing in a more respectable manner. “We mean you no harm, though it is the Northern Water Tribe we seek. Are we correct in assuming we are on the right course?”

“You are,” the warrior growled. “But you should answer our questions before you witness a demonstration as to why the Fire Nation fears to sail these waters.”

“My name is Blake of the Western Air Temple. These are my companions. I’ve come to you to request training in your bending arts.” A murmur went through the warriors. They were obviously taken off guard by a strange request from an Air Nomad. Now was the time to declare herself. Blake took a deep breath. “I am the Avatar, and I need your help if I am to restore balance to the world.”

The warriors froze like their water. For a moment, Blake worried that her words hadn’t carried enough weight. Should she have followed it up with some kind of bending demonstration? 

Then the whispers started. The waterbenders pointed at her tattoos as they muttered amongst themselves. Slowly, each and every one of them lowered themselves onto one knee and bowed their heads. The ice around Gambol melted away, and she floated freely on the water.

“I never thought I’d see the day the Avatar returned,” the leader breathed. He lifted his head, blue eyes shining up at Blake. “Please accept our apologies for our aggressive response to your presence. We will escort you to our city and ensure no further harm comes to you. It’s not far.”

“No harm done,” Ruby said. She relaxed her posture and Yang followed her lead.

Blake settled back onto Gambol’s withers as the longboats fell into an honor guard around them. Gambol swam rather than take off and risk capsizing their escort. The air was filled with reverence, and Blake could feel the stares still on her. She did her best to retain as much of a noble bearing as she could, one befitting of an Avatar. But the atmosphere that really grabbed her was the tension between her, Yang, and Ruby.

“I’m sorry I got testy earlier,” she said, too quietly for the waterbenders to hear.

“Yeah, me too. It’s kinda in my nature, but I should have better control,” Yang said.

“Sorry for being rude,” Ruby said. Blake turned to face the two of them.

“Our first real fight is over with. We’re in this together.” She gave the two of them what she hoped was a reassuring smile. They didn’t need to know she was terrified out of her mind. She was officially announcing herself to the world with this. It somehow felt more substantial than meeting a bunch of isolated refugees or being chased by a renegade princess. They were headed directly towards a global seat of power. There was no turning back now.

“Uh, how together are we, actually?” Yang asked, casting sidelong glances at the waterbenders. She scooched up to the front of the saddle, dragging Ruby with her. “Do we tell them that Rubes and I are…you know.” She wiggled her fingers in imitation of a flame. 

Blake bit her lip. She didn’t want to lie and possibly ruin her chances of gaining a waterbending master. But telling the truth might just as well do the same thing. With a pang of discomfort, she realized that both Ruby and Yang were looking to her for a decision. They’d been doing it more than she would have liked.

“We’ll keep quiet unless they ask us directly,” she said. “If they do, divert as best you can.”

“That means no bending, Yang,” Ruby warned. Yang’s nostrils flared.

“I can keep it together.” Her eyes flashed dangerously. She closed them and took a few deep breaths. When she opened them again, she was noticeably calmer. “See?”

It wasn’t long before they emerged from the field of icebergs. Even from a distance, the height of the glacier before them was breathtaking. Blake had to crane her neck as they moved closer to take in the whole thing. Her fingers itched toward her glider. The view from up there would be pretty incredible. She forced herself to remain put, though her eyes skimmed the glacier ahead of them, looking for any sign of settlement.

At first glance, she might have missed the large gap in the ice. It was one of many fissures in the glacier, so it wasn’t completely out of place. Only because they were steering right toward it did Blake start to notice it more. The gap in the ice was small but widened as it carved further inland. An enormous, pristine wall of ice blocked off the mouth near the ocean’s surface. As they drew closer Blake managed to pick out the insignia of the Water Tribe displayed at the very center of the wall. Buildings made of snow peeked out from behind the wall, rising up proudly from the ice. The city was protected on all sides by sheer glacial walls. Blake gasped at how _white_ everything was. Even if they were flying overhead, the mere fact that the city was made from the same material as the landscape would have camouflaged it almost perfectly.

She turned to her friends, excited to share their first look at the Northern Water Tribe together. Yang had her hand shielding her eyes from the sun, searching for their destination the same as Blake. Ruby was watching the waterbenders with rapt attention. The spectacular views did nothing for her compared to the unfamiliar bending forms. Blake rolled her eyes. Leave it to Ruby to drool over the benders. They hadn’t even known each other that long, but Blake was getting the idea that no matter where they went, Ruby’s first concern would always be the bending of the people who lived there.

The waterbenders guided them to the base of the wall near the center. A handful of them fell into formation and jointly opened a hole that went all the way through the wall. Ice fell away at their command, creating a waterway that took them into the city. 

“You’re free to go inside,” the patrol’s leader said. “A guide will meet you. We must finish our patrol. It was an honor to escort you, Avatar Blake.” 

She suppressed a shiver at the title as she guided Gambol through the path they made into the city. The wall closed behind them, forming up seamlessly under the direction of waterbending. They entered a square lock, with walls that towered above them. The water level rose, powered by two lines of benders stationed on the top of the walls. Blake’s jaw dropped at the display. 

“There are so many powerful waterbenders,” Ruby exclaimed. Blake worried her eyes would pop out of her head.

“It’ll be easy to find you a teacher,” Yang said, nudging Blake.

As promised, there was an escort waiting on the other side of the lock. Their boats were sleeker, less suited to ocean travel as the double keeled boats of the patrol.

“Welcome to the Northern Water Tribe, Avatar. And of course, welcome to the Avatar’s friends as well,” the dignitary on one of the escort boats. “Please, come with us. We will take you to our chief at once. You have much to discuss.”

Their procession drew stares as they proceeded through the canaled city. People on the walkways lining the water stopped in their tracks and stared at the strange creature carrying exotic outsiders. Everywhere she looked, Blake saw blue and white. She couldn’t believe the architecture that could come out of snow. The fact they could build two, three, even four-storied buildings was incredible. She supposed it was standard fare for a population that could manipulate snow and ice to their whim. Impossible bridges arched over the canals, and Blake wondered at the decorative fountains. The intricate carvings that had to be the products of waterbending. She wondered if she would ever reach a level of such skill. 

The city was set up in a series of tiers, the highest of which were home to more intricate buildings tall enough to be seen over the outer wall. Traveling through a series of locks, they were taken to the very center of the highest tier. Gambol used a set of stairs that descended into the canal to clamber onto the shore. She shook the water out of her fur, grunting as it immediately fluffed up against the cold. They slid off her back. Blake immediately turned to hug her when her feet touched the snow.

“Thank you,” she whispered, closing her eyes to share a moment of gratitude with her bison. Though their travels had been boring for the humans, she knew how hard Gambol worked to bring them all this way.

“We can make your bison comfortable in our stables while you talk to Chief Jaques,” the lead dignitary said. Blake gave Gambol one last pat on the head before leaving her to rest. She swallowed her fear. Their mission depended on her now.

They were led up an enormous staircase, lined by fountains and intricately designed pillars. Blake felt less ashamed letting the awe show on her face seeing her friends were also taken by the design. The tiered palace that was their destination was truly a sight to behold. They’d caught glimpses of it as they traveled through the city, but its majesty was unparalleled up close.

For a building made of snow, the inside was surprisingly warm. The chill was softened by decorative pelts and tapestries hanging on the walls. The sound of running water filled the halls, faint on occasion and roaring just out of sight on others. Guards occupied regular positions along their path. They maintained a level of professionalism on the surface, but Blake saw how they watched their procession, how they caught their breath at the sight of an Air Nomad. Rumors would be flying in a matter of hours.

When they reached the throne room, their escort stepped aside to allow their guests to present themselves. Bolstering herself by Yang and Ruby’s presence on either side of her, Blake stepped up to the raised dais. There were two tiers, with three figures sitting cross-legged on the lower one and four on the upper. She could barely hear the screen of water falling behind the dais over the roaring in her ears. She bowed, low enough to be respectful without humbling herself.

“If my eyes do not deceive me, we have an airbender in our midst,” said the man in the middle of the lower dais. His white hair was slicked back, pulled into intricate braids. He wore a fur collar and ivory jewelry, finery which outweighed the other people sitting on the dais with him. He regarded the guests while holding his chin in one hand. “And not just any airbender. The Avatar.”

“That is correct, chieftain,” Blake said, making an assumption based on him being the one to address them. The pleased gleam in his eyes told her she was correct.

“It’s been some time since any airbender walked this world. I am very pleased to make your acquaintance. And that of your companions. Anyone who travels with the Avatar must be of some merit,” Chief Jaques said. He dropped his chin and leaned forward to examine them further. “Tell me, why do you seek us out? Does it have anything to do with the war ravaging our world?”

“It does, in fact,” Blake said. She cleared her mind, using techniques learned from the nuns. Her fear went into a little box at the very back of her mind. “The Avatar has been dormant for far too long. I refuse to fail the world any longer. My companions, Ruby and Yang, found me trapped in ice off the Earth Kingdom’s northern coast. They escorted me here, to a stronghold against the Fire Nation, in order to request your help.”

“This war has too long closed our borders and destroyed our trade with the rest of the world. If our help is what you need to end it, simply ask,” Chief Jaques said. Blake didn’t like how his cold blue eyes appraised her as if trying to assign her a designated worth. She steadied herself. He was the best way to find a solid master. She could suck up her pride for as long as it took to learn waterbending.

“I have traveled to the Northern Water Tribe in search of a waterbending master. If this war is to end, I must become a fully realized Avatar,” she said. 

“Of course. No expense shall be spared,” the chief said. “You will join Master Port’s waterbending class at once. He’s been training my son, Prince Whitley, for many years now. The boy is what some may call a true prodigy. I’m sure you will thrive under such tutelage.” 

“Your hospitality is very generous. I am excited to learn under Master Port.” Blake’s eyes flicked to the boy sitting to Chief Jacques’ right. He was no doubt the prince, as his impeccable posture straightened even further as he puffed out his skinny chest at the praise. One of the men sitting on the higher tier was also peacocking. Master Port, no doubt. The other men sitting next to Port side-eyed him. Blake sensed great contention between them. Five minutes in and she already could see this was a court of vipers. She would have to be extremely careful in how she handled them. 

It didn’t help that every person on the dais was male, except for one girl sitting to the left of Chief Jaques who looked to be about Blake’s age. She had been motionless and silent for the entire audience thus far. Her expression was somehow both neutral and cold as the ice around them. She watched the outsiders carefully. When she met Blake’s eye, she haughtily tossed her long white braid over her shoulder and moved on to stare down Ruby beside her.

“Of course, my generosity does not end there,” Chief Jaques distracted Blake from her silent showdown. “Tonight, there will be a feast in your honor, and you will all stay in the palace as personal guests of mine. While the Avatar busies herself learning waterbending, my daughter shall be in charge of entertaining her friends.”

At his declaration, the girl’s expression cracked like a glacier. Her jaw tensed and her eyes turned murderous. She stopped her study of Ruby and glared at the chief.

“Father, I don’t think that’s very fair,” she said. “I would rather make the acquaintance of the Avatar, not be stuck with,” her lip curled as she spoke, “her _commoner_ friends.”

Yang growled audibly, and Blake reached back to grab her by the wrist. Her skin was feverish, and she was shaking with effort to control her rage. Blake held her firm while trying to maintain her composure.

“Hey, we’re not commoners,” Ruby protested.

“Contain yourself, Princess Weiss,” Chief Jaques ignored Ruby’s outburst, choosing instead to glare at his daughter. The princess did not shrink from his glare. “Any friend of the Avatar’s is of great _worth_. You’d do best to remind yourself of that.” There was a hidden message behind his words Blake noticed but could not translate. 

Whatever it was, the princess understood. She folded her hands in her lap, a submissive motion that did not match the defiance blazing in her eyes.

“My apologies, Yang. Ruby.” She spoke without sounding very sorry at all. “Allow me to make up for my rudeness by personally seeing you to your rooms.”

Just like that, the audience was over. Princess Weiss was the only person to move from the dais. She glided toward them, moving effortlessly despite her layers of heavy furs. Blake was shocked at how short she was, once they were eye to eye.

“Right this way,” she said, walking directly through their small group. Blake took it back. She held her nose in the air high enough to add at least a few inches to her stature.

Though they were clearly dismissed, Blake’s feet dragged as she followed the princess out of the throne room. There was a topic she had not broached, too ashamed to admit to anyone about the gaps in her learning. The Relics. They hadn’t stayed at the Northern Air Temple long enough to investigate. In their days of travel, Blake did a lot of heavy thinking. She was surer than ever that the power she used to dispel the storm was somehow linked to the Relics. 

However, though she was an Air Nomad, Blake’s own spiritualism was rather lacking in practical knowledge. She knew the tenants of her people by heart and fully embraced them. But she knew little about the spirits. With her own people gone, the Water Tribe was the next best place to learn, if their sense of tradition was as strong now as it was a hundred years ago. Blake had the feeling it was, for the most part.

Her hopes were not high. A single glance at Master Port told her she wouldn’t be learning much spiritualism from him. If she were ever to truly become the Avatar, she’d need to learn, fast. And she’d somehow have to do it without breaking these people’s trust in the fact that she knew what she was doing.


	10. Chapter 10

“So training is going that poorly, huh?” Ruby said, nodding at the bruises covering Blake’s arms and torso. Moving stiffly, she pulled her shirt over her head, readying for yet another day of the same treatment.

“Let’s just say I understand why waterbenders are feared throughout the nations now,” Blake drawled. “I managed to bend it a little bit yesterday, but that was the first time all week and Master Port isn’t taking it easy just because I’ve never done it before.”

“He sounds like a riot,” Yang said. “Is he actually teaching you, or just beating you up?” Though Blake’s injuries were hidden beneath her clothes, Yang couldn’t keep her eyes off the airbender. They all expected training to be harsh – Blake didn’t have time to be coddled – but she hated watching her friend limp to their room every night only to collapse into bed, exhausted. They’d barely seen each other in the week since they arrived.

“His philosophy is teaching by beating us up. I’m lucky. He’s taking it easy on me because I’m the Avatar,” Blake said. “You should see his other students.”

“What about Prince Whitley? Is he as much of a brat as his sister?” Yang asked. She wondered if the chief’s praises on the first day had been accurate or propping up one of his own blood to a powerful guest. She found it impossible to get a read on him outside of the fact that she didn’t like the way he always had some scheme or another in the works.

“Yang be nice. She’s not that bad,” Ruby said. “Just a little elitist. She’s warming up to us. Remember how hard she laughed when I threaded a noodle through my nose at the feast?” 

“I remember how Prince Whitley nearly vomited in his stew. That was hilarious.” Yang sat up with a yawn, letting her blankets fall to her waist. She slept in her underclothes, for even in this icy palace, she had a tendency to overheat during the night. Sleeping in a cocoon of thick furs would do that to anyone. She couldn’t understand how Ruby bundled herself up every night.

“Exactly. We’re breaking down that elitism with our commoner charm.”

“She is fun to tease,” Yang admitted.

“Please don’t get us kicked out of here just as I’m starting to get the hang of waterbending,” Blake begged.

“I’ll say you have the hang of it when you can lift your arms above your head without wincing.”

“What an interesting observation. That’s not exactly in line with the progress Master Port told my father you’ve made.” The princess’s voice made them all flinch. Yang leaped to her feet while Blake airbent her staff into her hand and Ruby threw off her blankets. Curse this palace and its lack of doors.

Princess Weiss stepped through the tapestry hanging in the doorway to grant them visual privacy. Her hands were folded in front of her, tucked into her voluminous sleeves. She looked perfectly put together, even though the sun wasn’t even up yet. Yang hated the short winter days of the North Pole. They had her feeling sluggish. The North Pole was really no place for a firebender.

“All progress has a cost,” Blake said flippantly. That was something else on the long list of things that bothered Yang about this place. How little Blake seemed to value her own wellbeing. Couldn’t she see she was the most important person in the world, and not just because she was the Avatar?

“He’s trying to drive you away,” Princess Weiss said bluntly. “Prove you’re not capable of learning to fight, just like the other women of our tribe. Anyway, that cost will get higher if you’re late. I saw the class already gathering in the courtyard on my way to your room.” 

Blake groaned. She trudged out the door, giving Princess Weiss a cursory bow. Yang didn’t miss the suppressed fury in Princess Weiss’ expression to have her interaction with the person she was truly interested in cut short by her own intervention. It stung a little to fall into Blake’s shadow, but Yang tried not to take it personally. Princess Weiss wasn’t the easiest person to get along with.

“See you guys tonight,” Blake said.

“Good luck,” Yang called after her. She tried not to be too disappointed at Blake’s lack of response. This whole place seemed specifically designed to test her restraint. Yang wasn’t about to let it win.

“So, what do you have for us to do today?” Ruby asked the princess.

“We haven’t completed your tour of the city yet,” she said. “Today we will be covering sections twenty-nine and thirty of the middle district. I think you’ll find them quite interesting. The architects had to get creative in designing sections that fit along the curve of the glacier.” 

Ruby groaned as she dragged herself out of bed. Princess Weiss’ idea of entertainment was to give them an agonizingly detailed tour of the city. Yang learned more about infrastructure and administration in the past week than she had in her entire life. They were kept so busy Ruby barely had any time to practice with her new scythe.

“Just give us like half an hour to get dressed,” Yang said. 

“I can wait.” Princess Weiss settled onto Blake’s unmade bed, watching them with the same unwavering stare.

With a sight, Yang started shuffling on the floor to find her shirt. Ruby didn’t have any pants on. They weren’t doing themselves any favors distinguishing themselves in the princess’s eyes. It would be worse on the tour. Yang doubted her ability to stay awake while Ruby pestered Princess Weiss about the waterbending techniques that went into creating the structures she was so knowledgeable about. She seemed thrilled to flaunt her knowledge to sate Ruby’s curiosity. 

Yang at least had to respect her for not being the vapid noble she could have been. As opposed to her brother, who even Yang could see was all privilege and cunning with no depth, there were hints of something more in the princess. Her curiosity combined with a reluctance to participate in another boat tour fueled an idea in Yang’s mind.

“You know,” she drawled when they were almost ready, “I’m afraid we haven’t been very good guests.”

“Your company is adequate,” Weiss said, a high compliment coming from her. Ruby was right about them breaking down her walls.

“Well, it’s been on you to carry the bulk of our entertainment. We’ve just been along for the ride.” Ruby gave her a curious look, trying to figure out where she was going with this. “Would you allow us to participate in giving today’s tour? Perhaps a new point of view would be entertaining for all of us.”

“I’m not sure how much you can add to the experience,” Princess Weiss said. Ruby’s eyes lit up, finally catching up with Yang’s thought process.

“Oh, trust us. Even you’ll be impressed by this.”

The princess sighed. “I can’t imagine what it will be, but if you’re excited, I suppose we could go with your idea. Just don’t make me regret allowing it.”

“Trust me.” Yang stood and fell into a bow near the door. She held open the hanging for the other girls. “You won’t regret it at all.”

They wound through the palace, following Ruby’s impeccable spatial memory on the way to the stables. Yang couldn’t stifle her wide grin. She was so glad her sister could read her mind. Especially when the princess realized where they were going.

“We’re going to ride _that_ through the city?” She asked incredulously as Yang approached Gambol, who was munching on an enormous pile of seaweed. Though still cautious around the ten-ton bison, she tried not to let any hesitation show as she patted her on the head. “Is it safe to do without the Avatar?”

“Gambol is Blake’s loyal companion. I’m sure she won’t let anything happen to her friends. Besides, I thought you’d be interested in a living relic.” Gambol snorted through her nose, almost knocking Yang over with a gust of air. “That’s a compliment! You’re one of the most unique creatures in the world!”

“Their relationship can be a little rocky,” Ruby ad-libbed to the princess.

“Was that a pun, you little twerp?” Yang asked. “Because it would fit you better.” Though earth was rare in this world of snow and ice, they told Princess Weiss that Ruby was an earthbender when she asked about their heritage. She was still under the impression they were from the Earth Kingdom, which wasn’t a complete lie. They hadn’t told any details about Patch or Yang’s bending since no one asked any further questions.

“Will the Avatar be alright with us borrowing her bison?” Princess Weiss asked.

“How many times do we have to tell you to call her Blake?” Ruby said. She adjusted her new scythe, still unused to its weight on her hip, before leading her to Gambol’s tail so they could use it as a ramp to get into the saddle. Yang couldn’t imagine the princess scrambling up Gambol’s side. That ungraceful motion was reserved for her and Ruby. Blake, of course, had her airbending to help her climb up. “She’ll appreciate that we’re taking Gambol out for some exercise. Besides, she’s busy right now.”

Ruby helped the princess settle comfortably at the front of the saddle while Yang climbed onto Gambol’s head. She took up the reins and Gambol obediently carried them away from the stables into the courtyard.

“I thought you said their relationship was uneasy. Are you sure you should be leading her?” Princess Weiss said. “The last thing we need is to have a collision in the canals.”

“Oh, we’re not going to be using the canals,” Yang said. “Hang tight, Princess. Gambol, yip yip!” At the command, Gambol flexed her tail and propelled herself into the sky.

They ascended quickly, cold air rushing past Yang’s cheeks. She heard Weiss screaming behind her as the city became smaller and smaller below. She couldn’t help but grin. 

When they reached a decent height, Yang let go of the reins with one hand, knowing Gambol was more than capable of taking them around the city herself. Yang was only in the driver's seat to calm Weiss’ nerves. She threw her free hand over the saddle and twisted to look at her fellow passengers.

“I bet you’ve never seen the city from up here before,” she said. The princess was no longer screaming. Instead, she looked in amazement down at the city.

“It’s so...small,” she said.

“If you think this is small, you should see our village,” Ruby said. Princess Weiss straightened up, looking from Ruby to Yang appraisingly.

“There are no guards up here,” she said.

“We’re not going to get in trouble for that, are we?” Ruby asked

“You’re plenty safe with us,” Yang said reassuringly.

“I have no doubt. It’s just...odd being on my own.”

“Your dad seems pretty protective,” Ruby said. Every time they left the palace, they were accompanied by two warriors, as well as the waterbenders who propelled their boat. Yang guessed that if they were strong enough to provide transport, the benders could also fight if the need arose. Though what kind of attack Chief Jaques expected, Yang couldn’t guess. His city was constantly patrolled by warriors, and the ordinary citizens deferred to the royal craft in the canals unwaveringly.

“I’ve been known to have my rebellions.” Yang nearly fell off of Gambol at the admission. Their purpose for coming up here was completely forgotten. This was much more interesting. “What? Why do you think my father so clearly favors Whitley? He’s the obedient one.”

“I just thought it was because he’s a boy,” Yang said. The patriarchal structure of the Water Tribe hadn’t gone unnoticed. She’d heard whispers of concern about Blake learning to fight. Even the Avatar wasn’t free from gender expectations of this society. 

“I tried to learn to fight,” Weiss answered bluntly. Her fair cheeks colored with the admission, and she looked away from the sisters. “Obviously that wasn’t allowed. He stuck me in the healing huts instead.”

“You’re a waterbender!” Ruby exclaimed.

“Good luck with telling my father that. He won’t let me pursue the discipline I excel at, so how could I possibly succeed? There was someone to teach me, once, but she’s gone now. Learning on your own isn’t as easy as it sounds.”

“I understand what you mean,” Yang said. She was a fast learner because of circumstances. Tai didn’t want to enroll her in the junior army corps where most of the other young firebenders honed their skills. It was a direct line to the war front, he said. Much of her own bending was self-taught, extrapolated from the forms Uncle Qrow taught her. Qrow was a master firebender, but he wasn’t always around and firebending wasn’t a talent that was safe to leave stagnant.

“Couldn’t your father just teach you, like he was teaching Ruby?” The sisters fell silent.

“Yang isn’t an earthbender,” Ruby said. Yang glared at her. “What? She’s being vulnerable with us! This is how you build trust. I think we should tell her.”

“You’re breaking trust right now, by drawing this out. If you aren’t an earthbender, then what–” Princess Weiss stopped herself. “Oh.”

“Yeah,” Yang said. The princess wasn’t finished making connections. She narrowed her eyes.

“You said you were from the Northern Earth Kingdom. Would that be the northwest, by any chance?” Their silence was answer enough. The Fire Nation presence in the northwest Earth Kingdom was renowned enough for news to make its way even here. “You two are from the Fire Nation.”

“We’re also helping the Avatar!” Ruby added. “It kind of made us fugitives from our own nation. There’s a crazy princess who bends blue fire who wants us dead.”

“And if you tell your dad we’ll have to skedaddle, probably right into her hands,” Yang said. The princess sat calmly.

“I’m not going to tell anyone. You know a secret of mine; I know a secret of yours. We’re – how did you put it, Ruby? – building trust.”

“Thank you, princess.” Yang bowed her head.

“I think we’re beyond that now.” Ruby gasped. Her eyebrows nearly flew off her face, they rose so quickly.

“Yes! Weiss it is! See, Yang? We are so good at making friends.”

“We did get Blake to trust us almost immediately. And she learned we were Fire Nation right away.”

“Now we know each other's secrets, maybe we can help each other,” Weiss said. “You’ve clearly fought before.” She gestured to a scar on Yang’s hand. “And I know you have others. I saw them this morning.”

“Wow. Eyes to yourself, Princess,” Yang gasped with mock offense. Weiss rolled her eyes.

“Please try to keep your ego from weighing down the bison and tell me I’m right. I already know I am.” 

Ruby snorted. “Good luck with that. Yang is the worst.”

“Not always!” Yang protested. She took on a more serious tone. “I’ve had to fight on occasion. There have been skirmishes around our town and they needed all hands on deck. But not very often. This scar is from when I got two fishhooks stuck in my thumb.”

“I’m sorry, _two_?”

“She tried to get the first fish hook out with another fishhook,” Ruby said. Weiss’s look of concern was comical.

“Moving on. Would you teach me something? Anything?” She must have dredged up every scrap of diplomacy she’d ever learned to ignore Ruby’s cackling.

“I’m not sure,” Yang said. “I learned a lot about cross bending techniques from Dad, but I’m not sure how well firebending would translate to waterbending. They’re natural opposites. I’m sorry to disappoint you,” she said when Weiss’s face fell.

“Why don’t we just get Blake to do it?” Ruby asked. Weiss and Yang looked at her like she suddenly started airbending. “What? She needs someone to practice with if she wants to stop getting beaten up during class.”

“You know, it sounded like a bad idea at first, but you make a good point,” Yang said. “Blake would only get better with practice.”

“Maybe you should ask her first and then we can discuss meeting up,” Weiss suggested, sounding oddly bashful. Yang tugged on the reins to turn Gambol around.

“Nope! It was your idea, you’re helping us present it,” she said. “Unless you’re intimidated by the Avatar.” She grinned slyly over her shoulder. Weiss turned so red Yang worried she hurt herself somehow. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Only a strangled noise of protest.

“Wow, you totally are!” Ruby exclaimed. “Don’t worry. Blake only seems detached because she’s under a lot of pressure and doesn’t actually know what she’s doing. It’s a defense mechanism.”

“I don’t think she’d appreciate your big mouth,” Yang commented.

“Building trust, remember?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND THUS THE BEGINNING OF TEAM RWBY WAS BORN. I sure hope nothing goes wrong after this.........
> 
> Thank you to everyone who's read and commented. It really means a lot to hear all your feedback! Hope you liked this chapter!


	11. Chapter 11

Yang leaned to one side casually as an enormous blob of snow hurtled toward her from behind. It splattered against the wall of the building she was standing in front of. Humming to herself, she turned to the wall. She started scraping the snow into one palm, molding it into a ball while her two friends grunted and snarled at each other in the courtyard behind her.

“Seriously? _That’s_ your best? My alcoholic mother can fight better than you,” Weiss hissed.

"You’re the one who’s trying to kill me with all those icicles. Isn’t this supposed to be _training_?” Blake shot back. Weiss growled in frustration and a stream of water rose from the canal. 

“Your enemies won’t go easy on you in a real fight, so we won’t go easy in training either.”

Their plan was going well, Yang thought. She packed a good-sized snowball in between her hands. Drawing back her arm, she threw it as hard as she could at a carved pillar of ice across the canal. It barely clipped it and she groaned in frustration at her horrible aim. She went back to the wall for more ammo, scanning the skyline as she did.

Yang and Ruby were on watch while Blake and Weiss practiced Master Port’s techniques. Weiss found them a relatively isolated courtyard with direct access to the canal where they could spar in peace. The four girls snuck out of the palace together to let the two waterbenders have at each other. From their banter, any passerby would fear that true animosity was happening in the courtyard. But that was just how Blake and Weiss were. 

The extra practice was grueling for Blake, but there was no denying the results. She returned from Master Port’s class unbruised for the third week in a row. Her initial injuries were already healed, helped along by a grateful Weiss. She was advancing at an unprecedented rate. They chalked it up as something that was only to be expected from the Avatar, not because she was getting extra practice.

Weiss herself turned out to be a powerful sparring partner in her own right. For someone with so-called “rusty” skills, she was more than a match for Blake even as her familiarity with waterbending grew. Yang was starting to worry that having two people on watch wasn’t going to be good enough. Both of them were advancing at a rapid pace, and with progress came larger and larger displays of power.

“Ok, look. The reason you’re having so much trouble countering my attacks is that you’re trying to avoid rather than redirect. You leave yourself open and vulnerable. Tighten up your stance,” Weiss said. Yang heard the scuffle return anew and she sighed. They were getting loud enough it would be worth taking a circuit of the nearby canals to make sure no one was eavesdropping.

She ended up on the raised walkway across the canal. With the way the courtyard was nestled into the surrounding buildings, there was only a short stretch on the walkway a passerby could look down on and see into it. Yang’s previous position was meant to watch for anyone in danger of accidentally discovering them, but it was always good to take a circuit every once and a while to ensure she wasn’t missing anything.

Stretching the cold from her limbs, she made her way to the point where the courtyard was visible. She rested her elbows against the freezing bulwark to watch Blake and Weiss move through the forms. They were both quite good. Yang had never seen waterbending before coming to the North Pole, but she could recognize solid stances. And the pure volume of water that jumped to their every command was truly impressive.

“Fancy running into you all the way out here.” The hair on the back of Yang’s neck rose as the slimy voice distracted her from her friends. 

She rose off the bulwark and turned to see Prince Whitley standing a few paces away on the same bulwark. The sight of him made her stomach flip. This couldn’t be happening. Their plans had been going so well, only for the prince to arrive to spoil a good thing he couldn’t be part of. Yang knew he’d been searching for any opportunity to discredit Blake, jealous of no longer being Master Port’s prized student. Many of Blake’s initial bruises had come from him. Yang clenched her fists and forced herself to focus on the problem at hand. He wasn’t close enough to see into the courtyard. Yet.

“I thought I’d go for a walk,” Yang said, trying to project her voice as a warning to her friends without alerting the prince. “It’s such a nice night.”

“It can be dangerous for a woman alone outside the palace.” Yang’s teeth ground in agitation.

“I can handle myself,” she said. The prince took a step closer. Yang mirrored him, hoping to block his view.

“A non-bender without a weapon alone at night? I’m sure you’ll be fine.” Yang pushes away her offended feelings, trying to remain levelheaded. 

“Do you think there are any threats? This is the stronghold of the Northern Water Tribe, after all,” she said. 

“Our enemies could have spies anywhere. That’s the thing about the Fire Nation. They’ll do anything they can to destroy the rest of the world.” Because she’d been watching Weiss and Blake train for weeks, Yang saw the threat in the slight movement of his arms. She heard the rush of water moments before she saw the water whip cracking toward her face.

She didn’t hesitate as she instinctively kicked out a defensive arc of fire through the air. The air filled with steam when it made contact with the prince’s whip. Yang grit her teeth and fell into a better stance. All this time, the most firebending she’d done was lighting the lamps in their room to prevent this exact confrontation. She was a little out of practice.

Whitley stared at her in shock. Whatever accusations he slung around, he clearly wasn’t expecting Yang to be guilty of such a terrible offense. A mask of glee slid over his peaked face.

“There is a firebender in our midst!” Whitley yelled, voice shrill with triumph. The crunch of boots on snow filled the air. “I knew your sister was too light-footed to be a true earthbender.” In moments, Yang was surrounded. She cursed and put her back to the bulwark. Of course, this was all a trap. Hopefully, she would be able to make enough of a ruckus to warn her friends. She could hold off the prince and take the fall for this if they escaped. For good measure, she punched upward with the largest fireball she could.

“Stay back,” she said, hoping to disguise her warning with a threat. There were at least a dozen warriors, some bearing clubs and machetes, others water from the canal. The full moon illuminated them all clearly. Now she was here, her blood ran hot. Her fists steamed in the cold night air. She was ready for this fight, even with the odds so heavily stacked against her.

“What are you waiting for? Detain her at once!” Whitley ordered. The warriors moved together, hunting as a pack.

Yang ducked around the warriors, trying to use their numbers against them. Maybe they’d hold back if it seemed they would hit their fellows. She moved constantly in her own little circle. She’d seen Weiss freeze Blake’s feet to the floor and wasn’t about to allow that to happen to her. When she could, she disarmed without her bending. She caught the wrist of a warrior trying to bring his club down on her head and threw him into one of his allies. They tumbled over the bulwark, yells cut off when they hit the water below.

She kicked out three times, sending fire bursting through the air to buy herself space to work with. The bigger fuss she could make here the longer her friends had to run.

The time she bought was short. Her bending was less powerful at night, and against waterbenders at their strongest, it wasn’t long before her opponents landed a devastating blow. Ice sprang up from the ground and Yang wasn’t able to move fast enough. Her entire lower body was encased. She blasted fire from her hands and bent at the waist to dodge as best she could, but without any mobility, the warriors overwhelmed her easily. Pain exploded against the back of her head and she slumped against the ice that was slowly growing to encompass her.

* * *

“The Avatar is working with Fire Lord Salem,” Yang’s interrogator said. He was a crag of a man who didn’t so much ask questions as make statements and watch for her response.

Yang’s wrists were bound with rope in front of her. The blood flow to her hands was nearly cut off; she could barely feel them. Her arms ached from holding her position, resting on the table made of ice before her. The cold seeped through the thin shift they’d given her. It was much less comfortable than the thick furs she’d been gifted. How easily she was stripped of any favor from the Chief. 

Any time she moved the guards in the corners of the room flinched and went for their weapons. She tried to put them as much at ease as possible. She didn’t want to lose her hands. Though from how tight the ropes were, she worried that cut off circulation would do it before a blade did.

“She’s not,” Yang growled. “I tricked her.” They were going to see what they wanted to see. Yang was already doomed. She might as well give them a show. Especially if it cleared Blake’s name. She was too miserable to think of any other solution. Her thoughts were sluggish as if the cold was getting to her mind as well as her body.

“Then your mission is to undermine our city and tear us down from the inside,” the interrogator said. Yang scoffed.

“You’re insignificant. I only care about the Avatar.” The closer to the truth she could stick, the less likely it was that they would find out Blake had been in on this all along.

“Where are the other Fire Nation spies?” Finally, a question.

“I don’t know.”

“Where are the other spies?”

“Are you so sure there are more? Am I not competent enough to bring you down myself?” She slurred. The interrogator didn’t flinch.

“Tell me where the other spies are,” he said. “And we’ll end your suffering quickly.”

“Some ultimatum. Neither choice sounds very good, pal. Even if I knew where any other spies were,” she drawled. “As much as I love talking for hours, my head is killing me.” The lump on the back of her skull throbbed, making it difficult to concentrate. Her right eye swelled up enough that she could barely see out of it. Her ribs ached from being crushed in the ice, and she was altogether exhausted. She just wanted to crawl into whatever cell they were going to throw her in for the next thirty years and take a nap. She could figure a way out of this after she rested.

The interrogator tapped one finger on the ice table. He regarded her without much of an expression on his face. Yang tried to look as miserable as possible.

“We’re not going to get anything else out of her tonight,” he said. “Throw her in a cell. Let’s see if the cold loosens her tongue.” 

The guards advanced and hauled her out of her seat roughly. Yang’s battered body protested the treatment. She forced herself to go limp; she’d be damned if she made this easy on them. Like everything here, the dungeons were made of ice. They didn’t have the same styling that went into the other buildings to make them feel welcoming. Down here, Yang could very much remember that every bit of this place was designed to thwart firebenders. Her core body temperature was so low it would be a miracle if she could produce any flame at all. And that was assuming she could keep her limbs steady enough for it to do any good.

When they reached her cell, one of the guards untied her hands while two more propped her upright. The last one opened the door. They threw her inside as soon as they had their rope back. Yang collapsed bonelessly to the floor, uncaring of their harsh laughter. At least she was so numb with cold her injuries didn’t seem that bad.

“Yang!” Something warm slid into the space near her head. Yang fought to open one eye. It was dark in here, the guards took with them the lamp, but she would recognize Ruby’s voice anywhere.

“H-how are you here?” she croaked as Ruby pulled her head into her lap. 

“They locked me up because I’m your sister. No leniency to Fire Nation citizens in this city,” she said.

“You should have r-run.”

“I wasn’t just going to let you rot. You’re freezing.” She took Yang’s hands, trying to work some warmth into her stiff fingers.

“They don’t want me bending,” Yang said.

“You’re hours from being a Yangsicle.” Ruby glared through the bars as if ready to launch herself at any guard who passed for what they did to Yang.

“Har har. Very funny.” Her teeth were chattering too much to get out any more snark. “Weiss? B-Blake?” Her question wasn’t fully formed, but it was good enough. Ruby needed a distraction before she got herself into any more trouble the way attacking a guard would.

“Chief Jaques was less than thrilled we were teaching his daughter to fight. Blake was banished. They let her go because she’s the Avatar and the world is ending. The last I heard about Weiss was her dad yelling at her about being punished until she’s an old maid,” Ruby said. 

Yang’s eyes slid shut with relief. She felt horrible about dragging Weiss down with them, but at least Blake’s mission wouldn’t stop here. She’d mastered enough basic waterbending she could move on to learn earth. Yang’s posturing to the interrogator worked.

“Hey, hey, no! Stay awake Yang. We need to find a way out of here.” Ruby patted her cheek, startling Yang awake. She barely realized she was falling asleep.

“H-how? No b-bending. No friends.”

“Ok, you’re clearly delirious with cold. Guess I’ll have to be the one to seduce a guard,” Ruby said. 

“Absolutely n-not,” Yang cried. A bit of her strength returned as she rebelled against the idea. 

Ruby laughed. “I knew that would get a rise out of you. Come on, let’s try to get you warm. Don’t want you freezing to death before we can think of a plan.”

There were two thin blankets inside of the cell. Ruby spread one over the block of ice that served as a bed to insulate them against the cold. She and Yang huddled against each other under the second, sharing body heat to stay warm. There was no window to the outside, and Yang was on just the wrong side of deliriousness to keep track of time. She wished more than anything to feel the sun again. Maybe she would be less useless with its warmth coursing through her.

After what could have been hours or minutes, Ruby stiffened next to her. She craned her neck to look through the bars of their cell. Yang sluggishly realized something was going on.

The jangle of metal and a moan of pain echoed down the hallway. Ruby’s arms tightened around Yang as a guard passed in front of their cell. He moved stiffly, twitching as though fighting the movement of his own body. The sight of him sent a different kind of chill through Yang. He looked like something out of a nightmare. His face was contorted in pain as his arm jerked up, holding a ring of keys to their cell door. They jangled as he fit them into the lock. The door swung open.

Ruby leaped to her feet. Every line in her body tensed as much as the guard, who stood rigidly in the doorway. His eyes were wide, and he let out a strangled noise.

“H-h-help...me-e!” He struggled to produce the words as he lurched into the cell. Ruby threw herself in front of Yang as he collapsed to the floor on the far side of the cell. His body contorted, curling up into an unnatural ball of limbs. Only the tension in him told Yang he was still alive.

Leaning heavily against Ruby, Yang hauled herself to her feet. She glanced up from the body of the guard when movement in the hallway caught her attention.

A figure in a dark cloak was gliding down the hall toward their cell, looking very much like a spirit of death with a hood pulled low over its face. Its hands were extended, fingers splayed as they pointed toward the guard. Yang’s grip on Ruby tightened as fear dislodged the hopelessness in her. The figure approached and stood in the doorway of their cell. While it hadn’t extended the same influence over them as it had the guard, Yang feared it was only a matter of moments before that happened.

With one hand, the figure reached up. Yang flinched, waiting for the moment her limbs moved on their own. But the figure threw back its hood, releasing a thick, white-blonde ponytail.

“You dolts better hurry up and get out of there,” Weiss commanded. “This would be a pretty shabby rescue mission if you wasted all our time and we got caught.”

“Weiss!” Ruby exclaimed. Pulling Yang along with her, she launched toward Weiss and threw her free arm around her shoulders. Weiss grunted and stumbled under her weight. The guard sighed in relief and went limp.

“Stop! I lost control of him,” Weiss cried. She wiggled out of Ruby’s grasp and slammed the cell door shut, leaving the guard trapped on the other side. “That shouldn’t hold him for long. He has the keys. What did they do to _you_?” She looked Yang up and down, taking in her battered and frozen body.

“B-beat me up, knocked me out, and p-p-put me on ice,” Yang said. “Glad to see you.”

“Yes, well.” Weiss lifted her chin so she wouldn’t have to admit she had any feelings. “You’re going to be no help at all. We need to hurry. Blake is waiting outside with Gambol. You two stay behind me and don’t do anything stupid.”

Yang thought she might have been hallucinating as they hurried through the prison. With Yang’s arm thrown over Ruby’s shoulders, they followed behind Weiss. Any guards they ran into contorted in the same way as the first when Weiss raised her hands. She pinned them against the walls and floors and made them watch helplessly as they passed. Yang had never seen anything like it. Under Weiss’s power, they experienced no opposition. The guards simply didn’t have control of themselves to put up a fight except to scream and groan in pain.

They burst out of the prison into darkness. It was still night, though the moon was low in the sky. There was no sign of Blake. Weiss saw that and cursed under her breath. She brought a hand to her mouth and gave a piercing whistle.

“What are you doing? Do you want to attract attention?” Ruby hissed.

“We’re in the middle of a prison break! We’re already the most conspicuous people in the city. How else should I call our ride?” A large shadow flew overhead as Weiss responded. Moments later, Gambol’s enormous form lighted down in front of them.

“Get on!” Blake yelled. The trio wasted no time, rushing up Gambol’s tail at the same time more warriors started pouring from the prison. Even with her strange power, Weiss wasn’t able to incapacitate them all.

They were knocked prone by a gust of wind from Gambol’s take off. She shot into the sky fast enough to make Yang’s stomach drop. They circled once above the city, high enough to avoid any attacks, before wheeling out over the open ocean. Weiss looked longingly out over her home as it slowly became smaller and smaller in the distance.

“I have so many questions,” Ruby broke the silence as the main glacier faded from view. The sun was just starting to come up. Yang shivered with relief. “And most of them are directed at you, Weiss. First of all, how did you get out of the palace? Second of all, what was that thing you were doing back there? Third of all, why are you here?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Weiss asked. “I’m running away.”

“Why!?” Yang exclaimed. She winced as her vehemence jostled her wounds. Weiss rolled her eyes and bent a small supply of water from a canteen at her hip.

“Here, let me help you. And I’ll try not to take offense at how horrified you sounded just now.”

“Sorry,” Yang said. The water covered Weiss’s hand like a glove, and she brought it to the worst of Yang’s injuries. 

“I’m not the best healer, but I can make you more comfortable.” Uneasily, Yang let her approach. Images of Weiss contorting the guards flashed in her mind. She couldn’t help but flinch when the water started to glow as Weiss touched her, even if that touch brought relief to her aching body.

“Why are you running away?” She repeated Ruby’s question, calmer now her entire body wasn’t in pain. Those warriors did a number on her.

“You saw how I lived back there.”

“In a palace.”

“With no autonomy to make a life for myself. We’ve sat around for far too long just _waiting_ for this war to end. It’s turned my city into a pit of paranoia. I wish to free the world of the shadow it’s fallen under.” She avoided Yang’s gaze as she spoke, even as she brought her healing hand up to her face.

“Weiss has agreed to come with us and help continue my waterbending training,” Blake said from the driver’s seat. “And she was instrumental in getting you two out of prison. I couldn’t have done that on my own.”

“I have questions for you, too, Blake,” Ruby said, jabbing a finger toward her. “But first. Weiss! I have never seen bending like that before it was…”

“Horrifying,” Yang said.

“So cool! But yeah, a little horrifying.” Weiss wrapped her arms around her knees, drawing into a defensive curl.

“There’s no need for all of that. All I did was use a secret family technique called bloodbending. We’ve used it for generations.”

“Wow!” Yang’s joints locked at the same time Ruby exclaimed with excitement. She exchanged a worried look with Blake. Her same concerns were reflected in Blake’s expression. It was a feat of willpower Yang managed to keep her mouth shut. She was still barely coherent, and Blake was always more articulate anyway. She gave a small nod.

“I’m grateful it helped get Yang and Ruby back,” Blake said, “but I have concerns about this power.”

Weiss shrugged. “It’s not that big a deal. We can only do it on the full moon when our bending is the strongest.”

“You took away people’s will. Controlled their bodies. That just seems...wrong,” Yang said, unable to stop herself. Weiss sighed.

“It is wrong. I know it’s wrong.” Her fists clenched. “It's the one fighting technique my father let me learn. And it's a part of my legacy. I can’t just give it up. The same way I couldn’t let you all break apart.”

“I guess breaking two political prisoners out of jail means you can’t really go back,” Yang said after a moment of silence. Weiss looked up, her expression full of gratitude for Yang’s olive branch. Though she was still reeling from the effects of Weiss’s power, Yang knew what it was like to have her bending feared. She wasn’t going to let disgust alienate a powerful ally. Even if she didn’t like it one bit.

“You are the coolest rebel ever!” Ruby said. “Helping to teach the Avatar has _nothing_ on what you just did.”

“I guess you’re right,” Weiss said. “It's...a big world out there. I have no idea where to go next.”

“You could stick with us,” Blake said. “You’re still a much better waterbender than I am. I could use a sparring partner.”

“I’d be honored.” Weiss bowed her head.

“Aw, yes! Nice Weiss is on board!” Ruby said, pumping her fist. Weiss glared at her.

“Don’t make me regret breaking you out of prison.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Thanks for reading!


	12. Chapter 12

During the winter months, Yang was usually the first to complain of the cold. She thought living in the far north of the Earth Kingdom was bad. All the firebenders in Patch complained about the shortening days. After spending several weeks at the North Pole, Yang vowed never to complain again.

“It’s actually really nice out today,” she said while stretching her arms above her head. 

“Just because the sun is out does not make it warm,” Ruby grumbled. She blew on her fingers before pulling her sleeves over her hands, trying to stave off the cold. 

They were back in their usual clothes for this foray. After their less than friendly departure from the Northern Water Tribe, the group flew south as hard as they could to throw off any retaliation. Yang knew it rattled Blake to have her decision blown up in her face like that. She’d been the one to make the call not to tell the truth. 

She was noticeably quiet when they were figuring out their next steps, aside from her initial outburst when Weiss tried to take charge. The ex-princess hadn’t been the most tactful about it, but Blake’s sour mood made even Yang hesitant to broach the subject. 

To everyone’s surprise, Ruby stepped up with a plan, barreling past Blake’s walls to present a solution that pleased everyone. Now they lost the protection of the Northern Water Tribe, they had Cinder to worry about. They couldn’t backtrack to anywhere they’d been before out of fear that she would find them. At the same time, they had to stick close to a source of water so Weiss could continue training Blake. Ruby expertly deduced a port that would be optimal for them to re-enter the continent at. It was close to a river, the perfect landmark they could follow further south and source for Weiss and Blake’s bending. 

The only possible issue with that was the port was controlled by the Fire Nation. As of just a few days before making landfall, they planned on flying right over it. But there was no denying their need for supplies. Weiss refused to begin their journey in earnest without at least a few weeks of actual rations. She didn’t trust their ability to forage their food. Luckily, Yang and Ruby still had clothes to let them blend in. They could go into town for supplies while Blake and Weiss hid in the forest and continued to develop their master-student dynamic. Plus, stopping to let Gambol rest for a day or two was always a good investment, in case they accidentally prompted a high-speed chase.

The majority of this settlement was tailored to act as a resort, with stairs carved into the cliffs leading down to a harbor. The city was filled with gardens to help the visitors achieve a state of zen. Yang saw more massage houses and vacation homes in a single morning than she had in her entire life. The market was about the only place that was even vaguely like real life. The streets bustled around the sisters with people vying to recreate a familiar shopping experience. Even in the offseason, tourists made up a significant population of this town. It was fortunate for Yang and Ruby. They were just as unfamiliar to the locals as every other person on the street.

“What do you think? Is that guy going to have anything good or is he just trying to rip us off?” Ruby asked, jerking her chin at a vender across the street. Yang eyed him critically, searching for signs Tai said marked reputable vendors. He didn’t have an eyepatch, so Yang shrugged.

“Let’s go take a look at what he has. We can always just browse.”

The stall did turn out to have what they needed, but they left with their arms too light for how much money they spent. Yang scowled, put in a bad mood by how poorly their haggling had gone.

“Stupid tourist town,” she muttered. “I can’t believe you bought all those sweets, Ruby.”

“It’ll keep up morale,” Ruby said. She bounced down the street, perfectly ok with the fact they were nearly out of money. “It’s not like they’re going to accept our money in the Earth Kingdom anyway. We probably don’t want to broadcast that we’re from the Fire Nation. You saw how well that went last time.”

“You don’t have to keep reminding me,” Yang grumbled. “I wonder if the others found a place to camp yet.”

“Hopefully they haven’t wasted all their time splashing around.”

“Uh, excuse me?” Yang stopped in her tracks. “Who are you and what have you done with my sister?” Ruby blushed and brought her hand up to rub the back of her neck.

“I mean, obviously I’m glad Blake is practicing, but don’t they seem just a little bit too competitive?”

“A little,” Yang admitted, starting to move again. “Weiss is pushing her hard, which is what she needs if she’s going to master _hm_ -hm hm- _hm_.” She kept the word waterbending out of her mouth, instead choosing to hum its cadence to communicate. The last thing they needed was an eavesdropper to listen in on their conversation and discovering they were with the Avatar. She imagined that information finding its way to Cinder in a heartbeat. There hadn’t been any word about her since they returned to the mainland, but in Yang’s mind, she was waiting around every corner.

“She’s already doing really well,” Ruby said. They reached the edge of the town by power walking and ignoring the enticing calls from the various attractions. They hadn’t the time or money to spend at a spa, and having grown up at Tai’s market, they knew all the tricks vendors used to get people into their stores. “We’ll probably need to find her an earthbending master soon.”

“Yeah, probably,” Yang said. It took all her effort to keep walking as Ruby’s words brought their dad to mind. It was sometimes hard to remember that Ruby was only twelve. She’d been keeping up so well, handling everything that was thrown at them with stride. Yang hadn’t checked in with her for too long. “How are you doing, by the way? This has all been insane, lately.”

“It doesn’t quite feel real,” Ruby admitted. She didn’t make eye contact with Yang as she spoke. “I’m ok. I miss Dad a lot.”

“I’m sure he’s fine,” Yang said reassuringly. She hoped Ruby could take comfort in the words Yang herself needed to hear. “Soon enough Blake will be strong enough without us that we can go find him.”

“Do you not want to be on this mission anymore?” Ruby asked. Yang blinked in surprise.

“Of course I do. Why, are you having second thoughts?” She had to watch her step in the forest, a difficult task when carrying supplies and trying to gauge Ruby’s state of mind.

“Strangely, no,” Ruby said. “When we left Patch, all I could think about was getting Dad back. But after everything we’ve seen, I don’t think we can give up on the world now. Helping Blake will be helping Dad, in the long run. And hopefully, I’ll be stronger when that happens.” She flexed her skinny arms. Yang eyed her critically.

“I know you haven’t been practicing your earthbending,” she scolded.

“There hasn’t been any earth until now! And besides, I have this scythe.” Ruby patted the box of metal at her hip. “That should count for something. I’m armed and dangerous!”

“That shouldn’t stop you from strengthening your forms.” Ruby rolled her eyes. She kicked a pebble from the ground into the air and fell into a strong stance, one fist extended. The pebble levitated at waist height, wobbling as if it was about to fall any minute.

“I’m...practicing,” Ruby said through gritted teeth.

“How about this. We’ll run through some of your forms tomorrow.” Yang tousled Ruby’s hair, breaking her concentration. The pebble fell to the ground. “Camp is basically training central, at this point. I could use some practice as well if we’re going to run into Cinder anytime soon.”

“I wonder where she is right now?”

“Hopefully half-frozen in the North Pole,” Yang said. “I think she and the Northern Water Tribe are made for each other.”

“Oh, man! If she and Whitley got in a fight, who do you think would win?”

“Depends on where they’re fighting. North Pole? That’s got to be Whitley for sure. Anywhere else I bet Cinder would crush that little twerp.”

“You’re just mad because he beat you.”

“Him and half his army!” Yang cried as they walked into camp.

“Leave it to these two to announce our presence to the entire forest,” Weiss drawled. She was sitting cross-legged in front of their tent, facing Blake who was in a similar position. Blake opened one eye to regard them.

They found shelter in a ravine that was deep enough to hide Gambol from sight. It looked like a stream ran through it during the wet season, but for now it was dry and comfortable. When the sisters left for town, Blake and Weiss were busy setting up the tent. Yang imagined it was going to be a tight squeeze with four people. Maybe it would be smart to set up a watch rotation, for comfort as well as caution. They were in Fire Nation territory, after all.

“If Cinder went up against Whitley and his retinue, she’d lose, too. Don’t feel bad about it, Yang,” Blake said.

“I don’t feel bad,” Yang spluttered. “I’m fine. I would like a rematch, though. On a more level playing field.”

“We thought for sure you guys would have been training when we came back,” Ruby said. “I don’t see any water.”

“Not all training involves us trying to kill each other,” Blake said. She rose to her feet, dusting bits of leaves and dirt off her pants.

“We were having a conversation.” Weiss followed her example. “Blake’s reached an adequate level of proficiency with waterbending. She needs work in other areas, now.”

“Like earthbending!” Ruby exclaimed. Yang caught the glance Weiss and Blake shared. Something told her the two hadn’t been talking about earthbending. She didn’t sense the same contention between them, and Blake seemed more at ease than she had been since the night of the prison break.

“Like earthbending,” Blake agreed. “I need a break from Weiss roughing me up.”

“In a real combat scenario–” Yang put a hand on the princess’s shoulder, silently telling her to give it a rest.

“That’s great! I can start roughing you up, now. Well, with the basics at least.” Ruby grabbed her chin as her brow furrowed. “We need a long-term plan for finding you a master, but I can at least try to give you a head start for once we get there.”

“That would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Ruby,” Blake said.

“So, do you have any idea where to start looking for a master?” Yang asked. “We probably shouldn’t stick around here for too long.”

“Our plan to head south is a good one,” Blake said. “A hundred years ago, I knew a very powerful earthbender in a city called Omashu. We were good friends, so maybe some of those memories got passed down and I can find someone to learn from there. And hey, I’m alive at one hundred and fifteen! Maybe she is as well.”

“Love that optimism.” Ruby gave her a thumbs up. Blake returned it with a half-smile of thanks.

“The only thing is how do we get there? The world has changed a lot, and I wouldn’t want to accidentally lead us somewhere that isn’t safe.”

“I’m practically useless in that area as well,” Weiss admitted. “My father was of the mind that if we don’t acknowledge the outside world, it can’t bother us.”

“Ruby was always the best at geography,” Yang said, thinking of her rattling off a solid course for them while they were in the middle of nowhere over the ocean. They all turned to look at Ruby.

“You want _me_ to plot our course?” Ruby asked, pointing at herself as if there was anyone else they could possibly be talking about.

“We’re here right now because of you. That seemed to be a good call,” Blake said. Yang raised an eyebrow. This was a different side of Blake than the one she’d put forward most of the time they’d known each other. She was relying on them for decisions, not letting them put the brunt of the mission’s success on her. Weiss must have worked a miracle in their conversation.

“You’d be great at it, Rubes,” Yang said encouragingly.

“You’re the only one to do it. I don’t trust Yang’s sense of direction as far as I could throw her,” Weiss said. Yang pouted, taking back her mental praise.

“Hey! At least trust it as far as _I_ could throw _you_.” Weiss waved her hand dismissively. Yang gasped, affronted.

“Anyway,” Blake stepped in before things could come to blows. “You guys got a map in town, right? Look it over for the next day or two. The decision doesn’t have to happen immediately. I can show you where Omashu is and we can work from there, ok?”

“Sounds great! Thank you for trusting me with this, Blake.” Ruby reached over to squeeze Blake’s hand. 

“Of course. You’re very trustworthy,” Blake said. Ruby grinned maniacally. “Mostly trustworthy,” she amended.

“Anyway, earthbending,” Ruby said. She wasn’t one to let the conversation stray from bending for long. “Yang said she was going to practice with me tomorrow if you want to join us?”

“Sure,” Blake said. “I’d really like that.” Though she spoke to Ruby, she gauged Yang for a reaction. Yang smiled reassuringly. She was used to training with two other people. Blake joining in would help fill the void Tai left, and hopefully add something to it. Plus, she’d never say no to spending time together. They’d barely seen each other in the North Pole, and Yang had to admit she missed Blake quite a bit. She wasn’t quite ready to get into what that meant though, so she cleared her throat and focused her thoughts on training.

This was sure to go just fine.

* * *

Yang was right about the tent being too cramped for the four of them. When the problem arose after a camp dinner of rice and vegetables that were only slightly charred, she already had a solution in hand. They drew sticks for watches, with the longest not having to take one at all.

Weiss woke her up for the second watch sometime after midnight. Yang did her best to slip out of the tent without disturbing the two who were still asleep. Weiss grimaced and shook her head. It was for the best that Yang go as far away as possible to complete her watch. She settled on the bank of the ravine a short distance away but still within eyesight. Below, the embers of their campfire were a tiny pinprick of light. The forest was still around her, and she kept a sharp eye for any movement that would stand out against the calm.

From her vantage point, she saw the shadow of one of her companions exiting the tent. She winced, feeling guilty at waking her up. The silent way she moved over the foliage told Yang it was Blake. She tried not to watch too carefully – maybe she had to go to the bathroom – but Blake was heading toward her too directly to be on accident. She reached the bank and boosted her jump with airbending to land silently beside Yang. It was much more dignified than Yang’s scramble to reach the top.

“It’s not your turn for a watch,” Yang murmured, keeping quiet so as not to do any more damage. Her eyes had adjusted to the dark well enough to make out Blake’s general features.

“No, it’s yours,” Blake said.

“Can I help you?” Blake shifted uncomfortably, bringing her knees up to her chest. Yang leaned back on her hands, waiting patiently for Blake to begin.

“Omashu is a long way away,” she started. “A lot further than we’ve ever been together. And I’m worried about mastering all the elements if I have to wait that long to start earthbending.”

“Ruby can teach you the basics,” Yang said, reassuringly. The middle of the night was never the best time to come up with new strategies. Somehow daylight always illuminated too many flaws in them. 

“I’m not worried about earthbending.” Blake pressed her cheek to her knees and looked at Yang. Her golden eyes were enrapturing, making it difficult to breathe. Yang couldn’t imagine any flaws hidden by the darkness in them. “I want you to teach me how to firebend.”

“You...what?” Yang could barely choke out the words through her surprise.

“Teach me to firebend,” Blake said, more insistently this time. “I don’t have the time to waste. And I don’t think anyone else is going to volunteer to teach me anytime soon.”

Yang hesitated, dragging her fingertips through the dirt. “My uncle is a firebending master. He taught me, I’m sure he’d teach you too.”

“But you’re already here. Ruby was saying how he could be kind of...inconsistent. You’re plenty good enough; you’re easily the strongest bender out of all of us.”

“Until you master the other elements,” Yang said distractedly. She technically was the strongest, but lately she wasn’t feeling very useful. It was her almost entirely her fault they were kicked out of the Northern Water Tribe, and she could only imagine the further difficulties they would have traveling through the Earth Kingdom with a firebender in tow.

“Yang, please. Where else am I going to find someone else to teach me firebending? It’s not like we can walk into the Fire Nation to find any old master. I’m sure your uncle is a good option, but I trust you and your abilities,” Blake said. Her hand slid over the dirt so their pinkies brushed against one another

Yang worried her lip as she considered the request. While it was true they didn’t have time to waste waiting to bump into Qrow nor the time to spend tracking him down, Blake hadn’t even started learning earthbending yet. Surely the order she learned the elements was important, just like Tai said. On the other hand, Blake’s imploring gaze was all but impossible to say no to. Plus, it would probably be good if she could start to make up for the difficulties she would no doubt cause in the future.

“Fine. But you’re starting slow.” Blake’s grin made the decision completely worth it. Yang wished it was daytime so she could better see it.

“Thank you. I promise you won’t regret this.” She leaned into Yang’s side, and Yang couldn’t foresee any situation in which she did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! This chapter was very much a housekeeping one, but there were many important conversations to be had! Thank you all for reading, I really appreciate your feedback. Hope you enjoyed!!!


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hmmm, chapter thirteen. hope nothing bad happens in chapter thirteen

“Ugh. So...tired,” Ruby said, flopping to the ground. It rumbled under her weight, and she sank a few inches into the dirt.

Yang smirked. Ruby claimed to be exhausted, but the morning spent realigning herself with the earth already made her noticeably stronger. It always went like this, with Ruby’s bending waxing and waning as she dedicated herself to practice like she was dancing around a key component without ever fully grasping it. Not being an earthbender herself, Yang couldn’t tell exactly what it was. But her a front-row seat to Ruby’s training with their dad had her plenty familiar with the concept. Watching Ruby work through basic forms with Blake, Yang had a feeling Blake was struggling with a similar problem.

They decided to take bending practice to the coast, which was craggy and sheer above the ocean, unlike the gentle beaches near Patch. They didn’t want to demolish their campsite chucking boulders around, though the largest thing Ruby managed to move was only half her size and Blake hadn’t so much as made the ground tremble. It was amusing to see both master and student equally inept with the element.

“You know, Dad was right. Discipline is the only way to improve,” Yang said, leaning over her sister so the ends of her hair tickled Ruby’s nose. She sneezed and hid her face behind her elbow.

“But I’m so...lazy.” Her words were muffled. “And hungry. Do you think Weiss has lunch?”

“I think it would be surprising if she did, but you can go check.” Ruby heaved herself out of the depression in the earth she made.

“Aye aye! I’ll bring you guys something if she did,” she called over her shoulder as she disappeared into the tree line. Yang stretched her arms as she watched her go. She hadn’t done any bending herself, merely followed along with the forms Ruby was teaching Blake as a strength-building exercise.

“That was...frustrating,” Blake said. Despite the cooler weather, her sleeves were rolled up past her elbows, and her skin was damp with sweat. Earthbending practice was no joke. Yang felt the strain in her own core and limbs.

“Yeah, it looked like it,” Yang said sympathetically. “You picked up waterbending so quickly, there has to be a little bit of challenge. Earth is your natural opposite, after all. It was only one morning. I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it!”

“Thanks, Yang.” Blake shot her a grateful smile. “It’s nice to get an outside perspective sometimes.”

“Any time.” Yang returned the smile, feeling warm for a different reason other than her earlier exertion. She cleared her throat and tried not to think too hard about it. “Now, are you too hungry or do you want to start some firebending lessons?” Blake’s eyes lit up, immediately distracted from her earlier frustrations.

“Absolutely!” Yang suppressed a grin. She had a feeling what she was going to teach was far less exciting than what Blake expected. While Ruby lead them through earthbending exercises, Yang’s mind was free to think of how best to teach Blake firebending. She remembered the beginning stages of her own learning and smirked.

“Alright. Come over to the edge of the cliff. There we go. Now, horse stance! I don’t care if you’re sore.” Yang fell into the stance alongside a groaning Blake, demonstrating the exercise for her. 

“All we did this morning was horse stance. I thought that was an earthbending thing!”

“Earthbending and firebending are more similar than you think. Especially my style, because I learned techniques from my dad when I didn’t have any firebending instruction,” Yang said. “Everything is connected, in one way or another. And you’re the ultimate proof of that.”

“I kind of am, aren’t I?” Blake said. Yang rolled her eyes.

“Alright, don’t get too cocky. Lesson one is meditation,” she said. “Feel the burn in your muscles. Close your eyes. Breathe in through your nose. Feel the heat of the sun warming your skin. Breathe out through your mouth. Internalize that warmth, let it fill you up as you breathe in again. And out. And in. And out.”

“Yang, I know how to breathe,” Blake drawled. Yang cracked one eye, watching Blake’s perturbed face with amusement. Blake was endlessly more patient than Yang was when she first had this lesson, which was saying quite a lot.

“Proper breath control is key to firebending. Now, breathe in.” Blake groaned but did what she was told.

For nearly half an hour, the only sound was the waves crashing against the shore below them and the wind through the mostly bare trees. Occasionally, Yang chimed in with the rhythm they needed to breathe along to. But only when she remembered. As she fell into the meditation, the irony was not lost on her. Now she had the adventure she always wanted, sitting still and doing nothing was far more appealing than when life was routine.

“Yang?” Blake asked when a significant amount of time passed when she forgot to speak the rhythm out loud. Yang startled and blinked her eyes open, squinting in the sunlight. “This is great and all, but are we going to do any actual firebending?”

Yang’s fingers dug into her palms. “Listen, there’s a reason we’re taking it slow,” she said. “Dad didn’t let me practice on my own until I was Ruby’s age, and there was a whole village full of firebenders there to step in if something went wrong. 

“It’s not like the other bending arts. Fire is volatile, easy to lose control of. A firebender _must_ have training, or things can go very wrong, very fast. A rock won’t move if it isn’t bent, but fire will burn no matter what.” She refrained from mentioning some of her shameful moments, like the time when she was a baby and sneezed, nearly burning down the house. That was how her parents found out she was a firebender, and it was part of the reason her mother stuck around as long as she did. Someone had to be there to put out the fires Yang set. 

Yang tried not to let her mood sour too much, but remembering her mother always brought unpleasant thoughts to mind. It seemed to work in her favor, as her seriousness washed over Blake.

“I didn’t think of that,” she said. She was silent for a few moments, taking in everything Yang said to her. “I understand, but my legs are killing me. Could we take a break?”

Yang laughed. “Yeah, sure! I guess airbending training doesn’t emphasize standing in one place for so long.”

“I’d like to see you do a backflip,” Blake grumbled good-naturedly as she eased out of her horse stance. “Or balance on a post twenty feet in the air while trying to avoid fruit pies that are being thrown at you.”

“I can’t imagine you doing that,” Yang chuckled. She righted herself as well. “It’s probably a good thing I’m not an airbender.”

“Wait, what? Yang is an airbender?” They turned as Ruby announced her arrival. She had a basket in her arms. “I think I missed something.”

“Nah, you just didn’t hear right,” Yang said. “Is that lunch? It’s about time!”

“Well excuse me! I had to walk all the way to camp and back. No wonder it took a long time.” There were crumbs on her chin which Yang dutifully chose not to notice. She had a feeling not all of Ruby’s time was spent walking from one place to the next.

She and Blake accepted the food and sat down to enjoy it. For winter, it was a rather decent day. The sun warmed Yang’s back pleasantly. She tried to enjoy it as much as she could. Being in the North Pole made her feel like she had a sunlight deficit. 

“Oh, Yang. Weiss was saying she needed your help with something back at camp,” Ruby said with her mouth still full. She brought enough for the three of them to enjoy. Second lunch was a standard Ruby affair.

“What kind of thing?” Anytime Ruby was vague, Yang was automatically suspicious.

“I don’t know, she didn’t specify.” Yang sighed.

“You couldn’t have gotten any more information?” She didn’t wait for an answer to scarf down the rest of her lunch. “Alright. Blake, keep breathing and feeling the sun, got it? Hopefully whatever Weiss wants won’t take long.”

“Come on, Yang,” Blake groaned. “Can you at least switch it up a little?” Yang paused, surprised at her impatience.

“How did you deal with the meditation during airbending training?”

“Not well,” Blake said. She lowered her gaze before looking up at Yang through her lashes, hitting her with a full pout. “Please?” She used the same tactic as Ruby, though Blake had a slightly different effect on Yang. 

Yang groaned at her own inability to say no. She reluctantly bent down and scooped up a leaf from the ground. It was mostly in one piece without any rips in it. She pinched the very center of it between her forefinger and thumb and bent just enough heat into it to get an ember going. 

“Here, this should entertain you enough. Don’t let the flames reach the edge of the leaf.”

“Ah, a classic,” Ruby said as Yang handed over the leaf. Blake took it and stared at the glowing edges with wide eyes. “How many leaves did you go through before you could do it for more than five minutes?”

“Shut it, Ruby.” Yang glared at her. “Make sure she actually does it. I’m going to go see what Weiss wants.” She darted off into the forest before they could gang up on her.

A brisk pace had her arriving at camp in half the time it took Ruby. She slid down the bank, making plenty of noise to announce her presence. The last thing she wanted was to catch Weiss off guard and get soaked for her trouble. It had happened to Ruby before. Weiss was crouched by the cold firepit, absently streaming a globule of water between her hands. Yang frowned at the sight.

“You know, you could have joined us if you wanted to practice,” she said. Weiss cringed as she was startled out of her thoughts. With a flourish, the water dove into the pot hanging from a tripod over the firepit

“As if I don’t spend enough time with you already. Don’t worry, I’m fine.”

“If you’re sure.” Yang settled on the ground next to her. “Ruby said you needed me. Do you need the fire started?”

“What? No, I was just wasting time,” Weiss said. “Anyway, thank you for coming.”

“Sure, whatever you need.” Weiss folded her hands in her lap. She opened and closed her mouth several times before she began.

“I was hoping you could give me a more accurate summary of how the war has been going. I don’t know how much of what I know is filtered through my father’s propaganda.”

“My knowledge is probably filtered too,” Yang said. “I grew up with a Fire Nation education.”

“But that’s the point. The truth of it all is probably somewhere in between each of the accounts we’ve been told. I’d like to be prepared once we enter the Earth Kingdom proper. It wouldn’t do to look like an uneducated fool. And it might help us come up with a better plan other than ‘learn the elements, fight the Fire Nation.’ In my humble opinion.”

“That’s actually a good point,” Yang said. She put her hand on her knees and thought back to her history lessons, wondering where she should begin.

A chill ran down her spine before she could. Yang turned her head, already halfway to her feet as she tried to figure out what put her on edge. Her ears caught the sound of faint sobbing that was only getting louder.

Ruby appeared at the top of the embankment, cradling her hands to her chest. She slid down the side clumsily and Yang hurried to steady her. Tears streamed down her face, which was twisted with pain as she tried to catch her breath.

“Ruby! What’s wrong?” Yang grabbed her shoulders and tried to get a better look at her face to gauge what was the matter.

“I-it was an accident,” Ruby sobbed. Shakily, she held out her hands. Yang’s vision went white with fury when she saw the horrible, blistering burns that covered them. When she came back to herself, Weiss was settling Ruby on the ground and bending the water out of the pot. It glowed as she started to tend to Ruby’s burns.

“What happened?” Yang growled.

Ruby sniffled, trying to compose herself. “It was an accident.”

“You said. Is Blake alright?” Ruby nodded. “Good. I’m going to go kill her.”

“Sit down, Yang!” Weiss ordered. “Look, Ruby is fine.” The water stopped glowing and Weiss banished it into the ground some ways off. Ruby held out her hands for examination. They were slightly red, but the worst of the burns were erased. “Now, will you tell us what happened?”

“Blake was practicing with the leaf. We both thought it would be cool to see if she could actually firebend. But she lost control and–” Ruby gestured helplessly with her hand.

“I'm going to kill her,” Yang repeated. Part of her anger was at herself. Half an hour of practice was no foundation to give a beginner access to an open flame. How could Blake have been so reckless, especially with Yang’s warnings?

“I’m sure she feels terrible about it,” Weiss said. At least someone was able to keep a level head. Yang felt as though smoke could be rising from hers. “Where is she, by the way?”

“I don’t know,” Ruby said. “She didn’t follow me.”

“Someone should go find her,” Weiss said, looking pointedly at Yang, who avoided her gaze. When she didn’t engage, Weiss took a more direct approach. “Yang go make sure Blake is ok. And don’t kill her. You’ll doom the world.”

“Why would I care about the world?” Yang muttered as she crawled out of the ravine. Seeing Ruby hurt made all greater concerns for the world pale in comparison. Especially since Yang was indirectly responsible.

She made her way back to the cliffside where she left Ruby and Blake with far less gusto than she left it. As expected, Blake was nowhere to be found. There was plenty of evidence of her presence. The earth was scorched, foliage burnt to a crisp. One leafless bush was still smoldering. With a sigh, Yang extinguished the fire. Not an easy task with how furious she was. Stupid, arrogant Avatar. Blake could be so _dense_ sometimes. Shoving her hands in her pockets, Yang picked a direction and began her search.

She’d gone quite far without finding anything before something occurred to her. Blake was an airbender. She’d probably go somewhere she couldn’t be followed. Yang stepped up to the edge of the bluff and peered down. There was a dizzying drop to the ocean where the waves crashed against the cliff face. A few rocks stuck out of the water, jagged and pointy for the most part. Yang noticed a splash of orange perched on one of the flatter ones.

“Blake!” Yang called, cupping her hands over her mouth to strengthen her voice. “Blake, I know you can hear me. You’re not that far away.” There was no response. Blake was as still as the rocks she clung to.

Yang sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Well, if you’re going to be like that.” She sat down and scooched toward the edge, letting her feet dangle in thin air. Rolling onto her belly, she slowly eased herself down, searching blindly for footholds. Her feet found a small ledge and she carefully put her weight on it to see if it would hold.

“Yang, what are you doing?” Blake yelled from below. Yang lowered herself further, head dipping below the edge. She began to look for handholds on the rock face.

“Coming to kick your ass,” Yang said through gritted teeth. “If you’re not coming to me, I’ll go to you.” A gust of wind at her back pinned her to the wall and tossed her hair into her face. She spluttered, fingers tightening on their holds as she worried she would be blown from her perch.

“You’re so dumb,” Blake said. Her voice was much clearer, though she wasn’t yelling. Yang looked up to find her standing on the cliff above her, her glider still open.

“I knew that would get you to come up,” Yang said, sounding awfully confident for a girl clinging to a sheer cliff by the tips of her fingers and toes. She scrambled back up to Blake’s level, heart pounding. 

The adrenaline faded as she took in Blake’s tearstained face. Her eyes were red-rimmed from crying, and her lip wobbled. Yang remembered why she came out here in the first place, something that was pushed to the back of her mind when she saw Blake on the rocks below.

“Are you kidding me?” She cried, her earlier outrage returning. Blake burst into tears again.

“Yang I am so sorry! I feel absolutely terrible,” she said.

“You should feel terrible. What about everything I warned you of? Did that mean nothing?” 

“Of _course_ it meant something. This wasn’t your fault. It was entirely mine.” Blake could hardly string two words together. Her entire body was trembling. Seeing how incredibly upset she was, Yang sighed. She forced her anger aside, falling back on rational thought

“Let’s not do this two inches from our gruesome death. Come on.”

She led them away from the cliff into the forest, silent except for Blake’s hiccups. The roar of the ocean faded by the time they came across a fallen tree to sit on. Alone, they felt like they were in their own world. It was a much better place to have a serious talk than the adrenaline-inducing environment of the coast.

“What were you thinking?” Yang asked softly after a few moments of quiet. Blake put her head in her hands.

“I wanted to try so badly. And with Ruby’s encouragement I thought I could do anything,” she said.

“Ruby does have a way of making you feel like you’re on top of the world,” Yang admitted. And when anything happened to her, it was like the world was ending.

“It’s ok. You don’t have to worry about me hurting her anymore,” Blake said. She took a deep breath and lifted her head. “I’m never going to firebend again.”

“Excuse me?” Yang asked, completely taken aback. This was not where she was expecting this conversation to go. She thought she would do her big sister duties and further drive home the importance of proper training. Blake was in an entirely different mental place than she was expecting her to be. She frantically thought about how to change her tune.

“I can’t afford to hurt the people I care about any more than I already have. Obviously firebending is too dangerous for me. I couldn’t bear it if I hurt any of you again.”

“Blake, Ruby is fine. Weiss healed her, she’s as good as new.” Yang wanted to reach out to grab her hand. Somehow, it didn’t feel like the gesture would be welcome this time. “It’s ok. It was one mistake. You can bounce back from it. You’re the Avatar, you have to learn firebending.”

“I have to learn control,” Blake insisted. “Fire is alright in the hands of someone disciplined, like you. But I don’t have _time_ to learn that. It’ll be better for you all if I just swear it off forever.”

“Blake…” Yang had no idea what to say. She was more than experienced coaching people through blocks in their bending – Ruby’s entire life had been all but one big block – but this was different. This was a complete refusal to learn, to keep trying. It was a conscious, self-imposed block.

“I’m sorry I won’t be able to learn from you,” Blake said. Looking at her devastated face, Yang immediately crumbled. Blake thought she was making a huge sacrifice. She couldn’t see that it was really just going to hurt her in the long run.

“I’m not mad about that,” Yang said. She held out one arm for Blake to shuffle under. “Come here.”

“I’m not mad about Ruby, either.” She felt Blake’s tears soaking into her shirt. Blake didn’t respond verbally, but she let Yang hold her while she cried all her conflicting emotions. Yang held her as tightly as she could, trying to keep together the pieces while Blake fell apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know some of you were theorizing about the freedom fighters in the comments. Well, I'm here to deliver! Hope you enjoy!!!

“All I’m saying is I bet we never would have gone to prison if you called me over to help. We totally could have taken those waterbenders, and I would have gotten the chance to try out my scythe in an actual combat scenario,” Ruby said. She ran ahead a few strides, popping open the scythe and twirling it expertly around her before falling into a ready stance. Between traveling and earthbending practice, she spent every moment she could with the weapon, improving the techniques she worked out in the Northern Water tribe. For never having tried it in real combat, her demonstrations appeared plenty threatening.

Weiss rolled her eyes. “I can’t believe you’re still on this. It’s been literal weeks.”

“Yeah, but we’ve had nothing but time! Of course, I’m going to think about the biggest fight Yang has ever lost.” She twirled her scythe again, collapsing it back into its smaller form in a smooth motion.

“I really appreciate you continuing to bring it up,” Yang grumbled. “It’s not like he had more advantages than the Fire Nation at the Battle of Garsai.”

Blake hid her smile behind her hand. She had a feeling Ruby continued bringing up Yang’s fight with Whitley to annoy her whenever travel became monotonous. Who knew a desperate race across the continent to try and stop the end of the world could become so...ordinary? 

Today was particularly boring. They were walking along the stretch of road to give Gambol a break from flying. They’d seen neither hide nor hair from Cinder since they returned to the Earth Kingdom, partially because they spent as little time possible in any villages they came across. Ruby’s strategy involved picking their battles carefully, an approach Blake could get behind.

“Oh, really? That’s the battle you’re going to refer to?” Weiss asked incredulously. Out of all of them, roughing it was the hardest on the ex-princess. Blake had to admire her sticking with them this long. Even if her attitude could sometimes be a little grating. “That was all strategy, not advantages. Now, the Battle of Han Tui is an interesting study, if you want to talk about military advantages.”

“Really?” Blake clicked her tongue to hide her mischievous intentions. “Bringing up battles that directly succeded the genocide of my people? Shame on both of you.” The two immediately looked chagrined, the exact effect Blake was hoping for.

“Sorry,” Yang said, ducking her head.

“Don’t let her fool you,” Ruby said before Blake could lord over them for too long. “The only reason she knows what you’re talking about is that she grilled me for _ages_ about the history of the war. We should all be concerned about her morbid curiosity.” 

“Now hold on a second,” Blake protested. “If you were frozen in time for a hundred years while a war went on, wouldn’t you be curious about what happened?”

“I’m curious about who conceived of this path,” Weiss said. She stomped ahead of them to where the road ended abruptly in bushes. “Who builds a road that goes nowhere?” 

She pushed through the shrubs, the blue and white of her outfit contrasting against the remaining red leaves. Blake followed her through, holding up an arm to protect her face from clawing branches. This wasn’t the first time they had to force their way through the untamed forest. The roads in this area stopped and started randomly, sometimes only existing for a mile or two before getting overrun by forest. It was far from the best place to travel by foot.

As soon as Blake came out on the other side of the bushes, she ran into Weiss. She opened her mouth to chide her, only to freeze in much the same way when she took in their surroundings.

They walked right into the middle of a Fire Nation military camp. Soldiers looked at them with shock; enjoying meals or tile games or repairing gear. Yang and Ruby crashed through the bushes moments after Blake.

“Welp. I knew we took a wrong turn at that last village. Sorry guys, we’ll get out of your hair,” Yang said. She grabbed Blake and Weiss by their shoulders and started turning them around to head back through the bushes.

“Hey, stop right there!” Yelled one of the soldiers. His armor was more detailed than the rest, telling Blake he was probably the captain of this squadron. With one punch, he sent a fireball at the bush they appeared from. It went up in flames, blocking their escape route. “Get them!”

Blake jumped in front of Weiss as the soldiers started to charge. She lashed out with her staff, carving a horizontal slice of air to knock the soldiers off their feet. Before any of her friends could do anything, a strange bird call echoed through the forest. Arrows began to rain down on the camp, forcing the soldiers to defend themselves. The forest at the edge of camp burst into activity as camouflaged warriors converged on the Fire Nation soldiers.

“Looks like you have the chance to try out your scythe, Ruby,” Weiss said, uncorking her canteen and bending the water out of it.

“Yes!” Ruby said, sounding entirely too excited about the prospect of fighting for her life.

Blake didn’t hear any more of their banter before she leaped into the fray. She dove through the air to dodge between two fire blasts – one above and one below – barely touching the ground before springing into a backflip to dodge a spear thrust. She kicked out at the top of her arc, blasting the foot soldier with a gust of air from her feet. He fell into the way of one of the ambushers and Blake stopped focusing on him. She spun her staff in front of her, blocking another fire blast. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Weiss fighting three foot soldiers at once. Yang and Ruby were nowhere in sight, but she was certain they were sticking together.

She maneuvered behind one of the firebenders who ganged up on her, putting her in between Blake and the other one. She squawked when the other soldier sent a fireball at her, not caring that his ally was in the way. Blake jumped high, helicoptering her staff above her to get extra height. The other soldier dropped to the ground. Blake landed hard on her back. She gasped, the wind knocked out of her as Blake drove her feet between her shoulder blades. 

The other firebender drew back a fist to blast her again, but before he could produce any flames one of the ambushers leaped in front of him. He stabbed with his blade, piercing right through the soldier’s chest. The firebender collapsed to the ground, choking on his own blood. The ambusher twirled his sword, sheathing it at his hip. He smirked at the fallen bender momentarily before nodding at Blake.

“Thought you could use the assist,” he said. Seeing him up close, Blake could see he was only a few years older than her. He wore a mask over his eyes, and his dark red hair spiked almost straight up. His smirk locked Blake in place with its confidence. Her grip on her staff loosened. “Watch out!” The boy darted towards her, moving almost faster than she could blink.

His sword appeared in front of him, slashing out to redirect a spear that was aimed at Blake’s back. He drove the point into the dirt and kicked down on the haft, snapping it in two. In the same motion, he punched the soldier in the face with his free hand. The soldier crumpled beneath the force. 

“Thanks,” Blake said, shaking herself out of whatever stupor he put her in. She turned to face the next enemy, but the battle was all but over. 

The bushes rustled with retreating soldiers, leaving their unconscious comrades and supplies behind. Yang and Ruby stood back to back, the former looking incredibly frustrated as a few of the ambushers drove away the soldiers around them. Weiss was closer to Blake, dusting ash off her sleeves. She eyed the ambushers carefully, waiting to see if they would turn against them now the Fire Nation battalion was subdued. In the chaos of battle, Blake didn’t realize how few ambushers fought on their side. There were only a handful, eight or nine at most. All wore similar masks as the boy with the sword. She raised an eyebrow, sweeping her gaze over their work again.

“Corsac, Fennec. You two go after the commander. Try to herd him and as many other soldiers into our traps as possible,” the boy with the red hair ordered. He crossed his arms and strutted to the center of camp. Two nearly identical boys dashed off to obey. “The rest of you, search the camp. Let’s see what treasure we can find.” Everyone else immediately went to work, though they hardly seemed to need the orders.

Blake approached the red-haired boy, the clear leader of this group. “Pretty impressive for a bunch of kids,” she said. After getting a good look at the rest of them, she could tell he was not only the leader but also the oldest. He was tall, with broad shoulders and a sharp jawline. With the mantle of leadership on his shoulders, he appeared even older.

“You weren’t so bad yourself,” he said, dipping his chin respectfully. “Even if you did stumble right into their camp.”

“It was a tactical calculation,” Weiss sniffed. She reached Blake’s side before the others. Standing shoulder to shoulder with her, she radiated ice. The boy held his hands up soothingly.

“Of course. You did make a good distraction for us to launch our attack. Besides, the woods can be difficult to travel through if you’re unfamiliar with them. And since they’re my woods, I’d say you’re an unfamiliar sight. Though not an unwelcome one.” Behind Blake, Yang scoffed quietly. She ignored her, too riveted on the boy’s words. “I’m Adam, by the way. And these are my freedom fighters.”

“Blake,” she nearly fell over to introduce herself. Adam smiled softly at her. She felt his pull as strongly as the one she felt to the Northern Air Temple. “These are my friends; Ruby, Weiss, and Yang.”

“Nice to meet you,” Adam said. “I’m glad we were on the same side in this fight. You’re all a great team. I’ve never seen a scythe like that.”

“It’s custom-built,” Ruby said, hefting the weapon over her shoulder. “I’d say the test run went great. Wouldn’t you, Yang?”

Weiss cleared her throat before Yang could give any feedback. “What do you mean freedom fighters?” She cast a critical eye over the kids searching through the supplies.

“We’re exactly what the name suggests. When the Fire Nation is stomping all over the little people, we’re the little people who fight back,” Adam said. “You’re quite the fighter, Weiss. Is that a Northern Waterbending style I saw you using?”

“It was.” Adam nodded and grabbed his chin.

“Glad I guessed correctly. What did you guys come up with?” He called to his crew.

“Found some barrels filled with blasting jelly,” said a boy who had to be Ruby’s age or younger.

“That could be useful,” Adam said.

“And some boxes with jelly candy,” said another boy.

“Also useful. Put a label on them so we don’t mix them up. That would be less than good,” Adam said, lowering his voice to speak to Blake.

“We’ll take them back to the hideout,” the younger boy said, loading the loot onto a wagon.

“A hideout? That’s so cool!” Ruby cried.

“It is. You guys want to see it?” Adam asked. Yang opened her mouth to speak, but Blake cut her off.

“Yes please!” She said. Something about the easy way he took command was particularly dashing. She found herself wanting to know more about Adam and his freedom fighters.

“Great! We’re done here, so you guys can come along.” Adam turned to Ruby. “Mind if I pick your brain about your weapon? That kind of technology could be really useful for us.”

“Oh absolutely.” Ruby skipped up to him and Blake swallowed a sour taste in her throat as she lost Adam’s attention.

“Hey, Blake. Can I talk to you for a second?” Yang caught her before she could fall in with Ruby and Adam.

“Sure,” Blake said distractedly. She wondered where Adam learned to fight so well. He must have had lots of practice against the Fire Nation.

“I don’t have a good feeling about these guys,” Yang said. Blake’s attention immediately snapped to her.

“What? They just helped us out. Without them, we would have been in a lot of trouble,” Blake said. 

“We would have been alright. Four against twenty hasn’t been the worst odds we’ve faced.”

“I see. So you’re just jealous you didn’t get to beat up a bunch of other firebenders, is that it?” Blake asked lightheartedly. She recalled how disappointed Yang looked when the freedom fighters chased off the soldiers.

“A little? But that’s not it. I’m a pretty good judge of character. There were a few too many bodies that wouldn’t be getting up back there.” Blake frowned, remembering Adam’s sword going through the soldier’s chest. Admittedly, she wasn’t thrilled about that.

“They weren’t fighting with the intent to kill. I don’t like that he took it so far, but I can’t impose my beliefs on everyone we meet. Besides, they did save our butts.”

“He’s still a killer. Aren’t your people spiritually opposed to taking lives?” Yang asked. Blake clenched her jaw in anger.

“I don’t need you repeating my people’s teachings to me,” she growled. Yang shrunk back.

“You’re right. I’m sorry. It’s just, I get a _really_ bad vibe from these guys. Adam in particular.” Blake sighed. Yang wasn’t trying to ruffle any feathers. They’d been together for so long, she knew her heart was in the right place. And though she forgave her so easily for what she did to Ruby, Blake still had a lot to make up to her.

“I know you’re just being cautious, but I really think we’re going to be ok with these guys. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, right?” Blake watched Yang carefully as she spoke. The firebender seemed hung up on something. Blake couldn’t quite tell what. “We won’t stay with them long. It just might be nice to start collecting allies where we can.”

Yang scoffed, and for a moment she looked like she was about to argue. Then her shoulders sagged, and she lifted her gaze from the dirt. She didn’t have the usual soft expression Blake had come to expect from her. “You’re probably right. I’m just wired from the battle. Thank you for listening to me.”

“Of course,” Blake said. She brushed her arm against Yang’s, hoping to soothe any further doubts she wasn’t voicing. 

She valued Yang’s council, but she wanted to at least get to know these freedom fighters a bit more. Even though she was the Avatar, she couldn’t win this war alone. So far, they’d done a pretty poor job of recruiting allies. They were criminals according to the Northern Water Tribe and they left the refugees from the Northern Air Temple in the lurch. She hoped they could leave these woods in better terms than they’d left anywhere else.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WELP sorry for the late update! technically it's still sunday

“We’re here!” Adam called after they traveled for some time. His freedom fighters began to unload the cart they used to transfer the supplies.

“I don’t see anything,” Weiss said, looking around at the bare forest. Blake did the same, eyebrows knitting together. For a moment she worried that Yang’s instincts had been right until a rope with a loop at the end dropped in front of her face.

It wasn’t the only one to drop. Several others fell, and the freedom fighters pulled the loops over their arms before tugging down on the ropes. Blake’s jaw dropped as they flew into the air.

Adam’s arm went through the loop near Blake. He offered his other arm to her. “Need a lift?” He asked. Blake hesitated. As much as she wanted to step close to him, the need to show off was greater.

“Nah,” she said. “I have my own lift.” She popped her glider open and leaped into the air. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the awe on Adam’s face as she soared upward. She smirked to herself. Playing hard to get was the right choice.

Once she reached the bottom layer of branches, she closed her glider in favor of airbending assisted leaps from branch to branch. Now she was up here, she could see wooden platforms through the foliage. She landed silently on the nearest one, moments before Adam and her other friends arrived on their rope pulleys.

“I thought I saw you airbending during the battle,” Adam said. “Gotta say, it’s not every day you meet the Avatar and her friends. I knew you were going to be special from the moment I saw you fight.” He looked to all of them, but his words felt directed at Blake. She smiled automatically and lowered her gaze.

“We’re a well-oiled machine by now,” Ruby said proudly. 

“I’ll bet,” Adam said.

“This is a fascinating set up you have here,” Weiss said as she looked around. The platform they were standing on was one of many. Tree huts clung to the trunks while platforms and bridges extended out to connect them. There were several other freedom fighters that hadn’t been part of the ambush who were sticking their heads out to hear the news of how it went.

“It is. We’re a thorn in the Fire Nation’s side, but they’ll never find us here. No one ever thinks to look up,” Adam said, puffing his chest out. He put a hand on Blake’s back and started steering her toward the largest platform. Her skin tingled at his touch. “Come on, I’ll show you around before dinner. You all helped in the ambush whether you intended to or not, so you’ll have a seat of honor at our table.” 

“Can I check out your pulley system?” Ruby asked.

“Sure. Talk to Corsac and Fennec. They’ll want to pick your brains about your scythe,” Adam said.

“I’m going to go make sure Gambol is comfortable,” Yang muttered. She stomped off toward the bison. Weiss gave her a worried look.

“I’ll go help,” she said before following. She nearly had to jog to keep up with Yang, and they were out of sight in moments.

“Guess it’s just us,” Blake said. 

“That’s not a problem, is it?” Adam’s lips were curled in a soft smile. Blake became conscious of her own breathing. Was the air suddenly thin here?

“So, what made you start up a resistance?” Blake asked as he started to show her around. Adam stopped abruptly in the middle of the bridge they were crossing.

“A lot of people have unhappy stories regarding the Fire Nation. I’m just one who became powerful enough to fight back.” Adam looked out over the forest, his kingdom. One hand tightened on the hilt of his sword. Blake could still see it shaking.

“I understand,” she said. She stared at his hand, wanting to reach out and take it. “My people were wiped out, and I wasn’t there to fight back.” Adam’s hand relaxed.

“I’m so sorry, Blake. That must have been incredibly difficult,” He said, turning to face her.

“It wasn’t easy. But like you said, I’m not the only one to have suffered at the hands of the Fire Nation.” She couldn’t see his eyes through his mask, but she felt the intensity of his gaze. This was someone who understood her struggle. Who had the same pain inflicted on him. Blake couldn’t help but feel a kinship with him. His rugged handsomeness certainly helped.

“Come on. It’s almost time for dinner,” Adam said. He offered his arm to her, which she took. Though he was much taller, they fit together perfectly.

The place of honor Adam mentioned turned out to be a spot around the only table in camp. The other freedom fighters who participated in the ambush crowded around it with them, while others made space for themselves in the surrounding branches. Dinner was foraged from the woods around them. An assortment of fruits and tubers lay on the table before them. It looked like a feast, especially with the enthusiasm everyone dug in with. 

Blake settled on one side Adam, with Weiss and Yang to her left and Ruby to Adam’s right. She was still chatting with Corsac and Fennec. Weiss sat a little too primly for this table, but she ate with as much enthusiasm as everyone else. Yang slouched back, picking at her food. Blake frowned seeing the scowl on her face. Something was bothering her greatly, and she wasn’t being completely honest with Blake about it. Well, if she wanted to be a wet blanket when everything around them was an excuse to be excited, so be it. She wasn’t Blake’s responsibility to keep happy.

The entire camp fell quiet as Adam stood. All eyes riveted on him as he cleared his throat.

“Today we struck another blow against the firebending swine,” he said, voice carrying hypnotically over the gathered rebels. They briefly cheered in response before quieting to let him continue. “Remembering the look on their faces when we swarmed their camp is something that’s going to keep me warm tonight.

“To scum like that, we’re just a small nuisance. Not a movement enacting real change. Maybe they’re right.” He looked down into his cup and swirled the liquid inside. The jeers from the kids around her were so loud they nearly knocked Blake over with their vehemence. “Or maybe they’re _dead_ wrong!” Adam lifted his cup over his head, juice sloshing over the side as the crowd immediately cheered him on again.

“That was some speech,” Blake said as Adam sat beside her again. “You really know how to inspire a crowd.”

“You just have to know your audience,” he said. “Say what they want to hear, but in a way that gets you what you want.”

“I guess I’ll need to figure that one out if we’re to get any support in our fight,” Blake said. Adam ran his knuckles up the outside of her arm. She shivered under his touch.

“You’ll get there. It takes some practice, but you’re the Avatar. I’m sure you’ve got it in you.”

“That’s all well and good, but there’s only so much a group of kids can do to fight an imperialist machine like the Fire Nation,” Weiss said. Blake’s cheeks warmed at the thought of her hearing what felt like a private exchange.

“You’re right. We do what we can, but it’s not always enough. That’s why I was excited to see you in particular,” Adam said. “We’ve been having problems with the dry season. Firebenders just can’t help themselves with such a perfect opportunity to destroy. A talented waterbender like yourself could help fill the reservoir. It would save these woods and the village that’s in the valley. What do you say? Stay for another day and help us out?” Weiss looked to Blake, who silently implored her to agree.

“If it spits on the Fire Nation, then I’m inclined to accept.” Adam beamed at her answer.

“I can help too. Weiss has been training me in waterbending,” Blake said, eager to be a part of his plans. Adam’s smile grew even larger, if that was possible.

“Well then! With two waterbenders on our side, there’s no way our plan can fail.”

While Weiss and Blake preened under his praise, Yang stood abruptly. “I’m exhausted. Is there a place we can sleep tonight?”

“Sure. Yuma can show you,” Adam said. He gestured toward one of his fighters, who reluctantly stood.

Blake watched her leave with concern. Every line of her body was tense. It was a miracle no smoke rose from her fists. Did Adam’s comments about firebenders set her off? Surely, she could see she was the exception to the rule. She’d proven time and time again to be gentle and caring toward her sister, even extending her protectiveness over Weiss and Blake. 

Unfortunately, Blake was too distracted by the victory feast to dwell on Yang for very long. She probably just needed some time to herself to cool off. They could always talk later tonight after the worst of the day’s embarrassment faded.

* * *

The distant sounds of talking and laughter from the feast reached through the walls of the lean-to Yuma showed to her. Yang’s fists clenched listening to it, and she did her best not to let the flame in the lantern flare up too much. This whole place didn’t sit right with her. These kids thought they were making a difference, but Yang could see how this was going to end. They were going to get themselves killed. As much as Adam put her on edge, she didn’t want him and his friends to die.

The very thought of Adam had her spiraling back into anger again. She knew the Fire Nation had sown horrors over the world, but the blind hatred in Adam’s words as he spoke of his enemies made her skin crawl. And Blake was enamored with him. She could tell from the way she looked whenever he spoke. In mere hours, she showed him the genuine smile that took Yang weeks to draw out of her. It was utter bullshit, Yang thought as she set up her bedroll in the darkest corner of the shelter. She’d known Blake for longer. Why didn’t she trust her?

She was still mulling it over when her friends ducked into the shelter. Ruby and Weiss were laughing together, and they entered one after another. Yang could hear the low rumble of Adam’s voice coming from outside, though her back was turned to the entrance. He was holding Blake back for a moment. The flame in the lantern expanded to triple its size.

“I know you’re awake, Yang. Stop pretending,” Ruby said. With a sigh, Yang rolled onto her back, draping one arm over her stomach.

“What was with you at the feast? You didn’t seem like you were enjoying yourself at all,” Weiss said. Yang opened her mouth to respond, but just then Blake ducked inside. Her cheeks were slightly pink, and Yang’s mouth snapped shut.

“Just a stomachache,” Yang said after recollecting her thoughts. The lie sounded obvious even to her own ears. Ruby would be able to pick it out in a heartbeat.

“It wouldn’t have anything to do with what Adam was saying about firebenders, would it?” Ruby asked. Yang clenched a fist instead of answering.

“You had to know he wasn’t talking about you, right?” Blake said. “We all know you’re one of the kindest, most loyal people we know.” What a surprise. Blake was disagreeing with Adam for once.

“Just ‘cause you’re hotheaded doesn’t mean you’re ruthless,” Weiss said. “Huh. I never thought I’d use that expression literally.”

“Thanks, you guys,” Yang said, sitting up. She stared at her hands that sat limply in her lap. “But that’s not what set me off. I know that firebenders have caused a lot of pain for a lot of people, and I don’t begrudge them of their grief.”

“Then what’s wrong? You know you can talk to us, right?” Ruby settled on the ground next to Yang, close enough that her knees touched Yang’s leg. Yang leaned into her, grateful for her support. She took a deep breath, summoning the courage to bring up her next words.

“Does Adam seem a little...intense to anyone else?” She asked. Having observed him for longer, she could see it now. She was hesitant to bring up her doubts since speaking with Blake. She already knew where the airbender stood. But she had to know what the other two were thinking.

“I mean yeah. He’s running a stressful operation here,” Weiss said. “Though I didn’t agree with everything he was saying.”

“Intense isn’t necessarily a bad thing,” Ruby said.

"But the way he does it is something else,” Yang insisted, hoping to draw out more agreement than that from the others. Surely, she wasn’t the only one seeing the shadows so clearly evident around him.

“I think we’ve had a long day. We could all stand to get some rest,” Blake said. “Everything will look better in the morning. I promise, Yang.”

Though silently screaming with frustration, Yang let the conversation drop. If her friends didn’t think anything was up, maybe she _was_ letting Adam’s comments under her skin. It was clouding her judgment. Surely someone so staunchly set against the evil of the Fire Nation couldn’t be all that bad.

But as she tried to comfort herself with those thoughts, doubt gnawed at the back of her mind. Her friends’ breathing slowed while Yang found herself still wide awake. Maybe a conversation with Adam would help ease her mind. She never did give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe then she’d be able to see what Blake saw in him.

Moving as quietly as possible, she stepped over her friends and slipped out of the tent. For once, she managed not to wake any of them. The forest was quiet at this time of night, and many of the lights in the treehouses were out for the night. The closest one Yang could see was at the largest hut in the center of camp, right above the feasting platform. 

She made her way toward it, wincing every time the boards creaked under her weight. She tried to convince herself that her need for stealth was only out of courtesy so as to not wake everyone up, but she knew what this mission was really about. Adam would never come clean with his true intentions right to her face. He would only show his true colors behind closed doors.

Yang climbed a level higher than the main shelter platform. She eased her way through the branches, lowering herself to get as close as possible while keeping her ears pricked for any sounds. So far, there was no one in sight, but she could hear voices coming from the tent.

“Once I show Blake and Weiss the reservoir and set them to work, you guys make sure you put the blasting jelly at the base of the dam. Use all of it, not just what we scored today. We need to make sure that dam blows to destroy the Fire Nation scum of this valley,” Adam said. Yang covered her own mouth to hide a gasp. The rage in his voice was a far cry from anything she’d heard from him before. It sent chills down her spine. Somehow, it reminded her too much of Cinder.

“But boss, what about the innocent people in that village?” Someone else said. 

“Are you joking? There are no innocents in the village. There haven’t been since the day they welcomed the Fire Nation into their walls,” Adam said. Yang’s hands clutched the branch she was hanging from. This was just getting worse and worse.

“Well well. Looks like Adam was right to be suspicious of you.” Yang gasped and looked over her shoulder. Crouched in the branches above her was Yuma, eyes narrowed as he glared at her. “Filthy spy!” He dropped the same accusation at the same time he leaped onto Yang’s branch, crushing her fingers under his boots.

With a cry of pain, Yang lost her grip and fell from the branch. She landed hard on the platform below, cracking her hip and elbow on the dry wood. Groaning, she sat up as Adam and his cronies ran out of the tent to see what the commotion was about. Yuma dropped to the platform beside her, landing on his toes.

“What’s going on out here?” Adam demanded.

“You had an eavesdropper,” Yuma said, pointing to Yang as she struggled to her feet.

“I knew there was something off about you,” Adam said. His hand wrapped around the hilt of his sword. Before he could draw it Corsac was launching himself at Yang. His dagger glinted in the lantern light, and Yang reacted instinctively. She ducked under his swing and kicked out an arc of fire to defend herself.

The freedom fighters screamed as she lit up the night. She was extremely careful not to catch any of the trees on fire, mindful of what Adam said about the dry season, but they looked at her with hate hardened eyes. Her hands clenched. She had the feeling she just made a terrible mistake.

From nowhere, freedom fighters swarmed onto the platform. There were too many for her to fight effectively while holding herself back to not destroy the forest. Before she knew it, she was forced onto her knees with her arms tied behind her back. Adam hadn’t lifted a finger. He simply watched as his fighters descended on her like a pack of rabid animals, expression hidden by his mask. He held up a hand to get them to stop, though they were only just barely restrained.

“Now this is a surprise,” Adam said. “I can’t believe the Avatar would stoop so low to have one of your kind among her companions.” He eased his sword from its scabbard a few inches.

“I’m not what you think,” Yang spat, though it would do no good. Adam saw what he wanted to see, that was clear. Spirits, innocents were going to be murdered tomorrow. And Yang was the only one who could stop it. She needed to get out of this.

“Oh, I think you’re exactly what I expected.” Adam drew his sword. “Hold her still.” Fingers fisted in her hair, dragging her head back painfully as the circle of freedom fighters closed around her. Adam approached and pressed his blade into her upper arm, hard. Yang clenched her teeth around a scream as her own hot blood dripped down her elbow to her fingers. 

“It’s time I show you what we do to firebenders who get too nosy for their own good around here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh nooooo somebody's in troubleeeeeee


	16. Chapter 16

Though she settled the furthest away from Yang, Blake awoke in the morning missing her warmth. She sat up to find only Weiss and Ruby in the lean-to with her. Her eyebrows knit together with confusion.

"Have either of you seen Yang?” She asked when the others started to rouse.

“She’s probably out greeting the sun or something,” Ruby said, yawning. “She’s so weird. I don’t know why she always gets up so early.”

"Weird doesn’t even begin to cover it,” Weiss said. “I didn’t feel her get up, but we’ll probably see her at breakfast.”

“You’re right,” Blake said, pushing down her worry. High in the trees like this, there was no danger.

Her stomach turned with unease when they went to the dining platform and she couldn’t find the head of blonde hair she was looking for. Blake worried her lip, wondering where she could have gotten off too.

“Good morning ladies,” Adam said. His appearance set Blake at ease somewhat. “I saved you all something to eat.”

“Thank you,” Blake said as they sat next to him. “Have you seen Yang around? She wasn’t in our lean-to this morning.” Adam continued to spoon porridge out of the main pot.

“Yang? She came to me last night,” he said. Blake’s chest tightened.

“She didn’t say anything to upset you, did she?”

“No, not at all.” Adam gave her a warm smile. “In fact, we worked out some of our differences. She even agreed to go on a special mission with Corsac and Fennec this morning.” Blake couldn’t help but smile back in relief.

"That’s great to hear! She’s a strong fighter, I’m sure she’ll be a great help,” Ruby said. “Even though she’s been getting her butt kicked recently.”

“I’m sure the brothers will take good care of her,” Adam said. He sounded like his thoughts were elsewhere. “Anyway, once you eat, I can show you two the reservoir. We really need to get a move on filling it as soon as possible.”

“Of course,” Weiss said.

Blake could hardly stomach her meal. She was excited Yang was finally coming around. The existence of the freedom fighters gave Blake hope that their fight against the Fire Nation wasn’t for nothing. It was nice that some of that hope spilled over to Yang.

They finished breakfast and met Adam on the forest floor. Ruby chose to stay behind to show some of the freedom fighters her scythe and learn about the weapons they used. She wouldn’t be useful at the reservoir anyway, so she shooed them with an order to do their best. Adam didn’t seem too disappointed it was just the three of them. He led the way with long, confident strides. Blake nearly had to jog to keep up. He was really excited to have them around.

“So how long have you led the freedom fighters?” Weiss asked as they left the camp behind.

“A few years now. These woods aren’t much in the grand scheme of things, but when it’s all you have, you’ll fight to your last breath to keep it,” he said. “The others feel the same way. Some of them have been around since the beginning, but more and more we’re finding people who want to volunteer and make a difference in our part of the world. You wouldn't think it’s that big a deal, but we give people a purpose here. That’s more than can be said about the rest of the world.”

“I absolutely think what you’re doing is important,” Blake said. “Every bit of hope we can cling to means we have that much more to fight for. It means that this war isn’t completely pointless.”

“I wouldn’t go so far to say we have hope. But we definitely have something to fight for,” Adam said. He was quiet for a moment but spoke up before Blake thought of anything to say. “We’re almost there. Just a bit ahead.”

The forest ahead was broken by a broad stream bed. Blake could see the ripple marks in the sand, though the stream itself was only a few paces across. It must have been much larger in the wet season.

“It’s not as though the water disappears,” Adam said. “It just gets trapped underground where it’s of no use to us. If you two can get a few of these geysers working, that should be enough to fill the reservoir.”

Blake and Weiss observed the holes in the ground. There were quite a few of them scattered along the bank.

“I’ve never bent water I couldn’t see before,” Weiss said.

“It’s alright. I believe you can do it,” Adam reassured. “From what I’ve seen, you’re a strong bender. And you’ll have the Avatar to help you.”

“We have to at least try. It could mean saving the forest,” Blake said, trying not to preen too much at the compliment.

“Oh, alright,” Weiss said, also suceptable to Adam’s sweet words. She stepped up to the nearest inactive geyser, standing across from Blake.

If she was being honest, she had similar concerns as Weiss did. She’d been waterbending for a much shorter time, and if Weiss wasn’t confident in her own abilities then Blake wasn’t sure what help she could be. Still, she fell into a stance, feeling Adam’s eyes on her back. He was counting on her.

With that in mind, she carefully reached out to the water. She could sense the stream off to the side, but there was definitely an aquifer below the ground. Simultaneously, she and Weiss began to urge it to the surface. The water swelled at their command.

“It’s working!” Weiss said. Blake smiled broadly as with just a few more motions the water burst out of the geyser, soaking them with a fine spray.

“You did it!” Adam exclaimed. He hopped from foot to foot in excitement, watching the geyser flow into the stream. “This is incredible! Can you do another one?”

“Definitely,” Blake said. Now that they did it once, she knew they could do it again. Weiss wore a confident smirk as well. They could absolutely pull this off.

“I knew you could do it,” Adam said. “Do you think you could do a few more on your own? I have to go check in with the others, make sure we can organize a proper fire brigade.”

“Of course. We’ve got this handled,” Weiss said, already moving on to the next geyser.

“Excellent. Keep up the good work! Meet back at the camp when you’re done.” He left with a backward glance at Blake that made her blush.

“What’s going on with you?” Weiss asked as she slowly stepped up to help her with the next geyser. “You’re acting all weird.”

“I’m just glad to see someone else who is willing to fight back,” Blake said. Weiss rolled her eyes.

“Sure. And someone to ogle while you think about saving the world.”

“That’s not true!” The water burst out of the ground in response to Blake’s agitation. “Whoops.”

“You could do a lot worse than a handsome rebel with his own army,” Weiss said as they moved on to the next geyser. “It’s clear you like him.”

“Not that clear,” Blake grumbled. Weiss didn’t seem horrified by the idea though. She decided to test the waters. “I’m not sure, though. Maybe once we get through this war, I’ll give it a shot.”

Weiss shrugged. “Whatever makes you happy. As I said, he has a lot of objectively desirable qualities.” Blake ducked her head to hide her smile. Coming from Weiss, that was a great compliment. She liked Adam, too. It was great to see her friends warming up to him the way Blake had the instant they met.

For the next few hours, she and Weiss worked to restart as many of the geysers as they could. Blake tried to keep her mind focused on the task, but she couldn’t help her relief when Weiss finally called for a halt.

“I think that’s plenty. Look how much the stream has risen already,” she said.

“Adam will probably be really happy. Maybe we should go check out the reservoir to make sure it’s filling up,” Blake said.

“Good idea.” Weiss fell into step behind her, following the river downstream. “Your waterbending is really coming along, even if your form is still sloppy.”

Blake rolled her eyes. “I could train for a hundred years and not be up to your standards.”

“You’re the Avatar, of course I have high standards for you!” Weiss cried. “And you’re my friend. This training could save your life someday.” 

Blake hummed in response. Weiss was right. It was sometimes difficult to remember the purpose behind all of this. Especially since they’d barely run into any reminders of the state of the world while roughing it in the wilderness. The freedom fighters were just the reminder they needed to stay on track.

They eventually crested a ridge that looked out over the reservoir created by the dam. The water level was still low compared to the top of the dam, but it was quickly rising.

“What’s that down there?” Weiss asked, shielding her eyes from the sun. She pointed at the base of the dam, where the movement of a few small figures caught her attention.

“I’m not sure.” Blake squinted, trying to make out the figures. Her eyes widened as she picked out familiar masks on their faces. “Those are Adam’s freedom fighters! What are they doing with those barrels?”

“I was afraid you’d get too curious for your own good.” It took Blake a moment to place the cold voice as Adam’s. She turned to find him stepping out of the woods. “Why couldn’t you have been good little waterbenders and followed orders?”

“What’s going on, Adam?” Blake asked, stepping in front of Weiss. She didn’t like the shadows darkening his face. He gripped the hilt of his sword, ready to draw it at the first sign of trouble.

“I told you to meet me back at the camp,” Adam said through gritted teeth. “You should go while you still can.” 

“Blake.” Weiss grabbed her sleeve. “I think those are barrels of blasting jelly. They’re going to blow the dam!”

“What?” Blake turned her back on Adam, trying to see what Weiss did. If she squinted, she could see it. Her stomach dropped. “The village! Adam, what are you doing? Everyone will drown.”

“It’s a Fire Nation camp. Don’t get them confused,” Adam said. “I told you. Filling the reservoir would help with our firebender problem.”

“I can’t let you do that,” Blake said. “Taking that many innocent lives would be wrong. I have to warn them.” She popped open her glider and backed toward the ridge.

“Getting in my way would be the wrong thing to do,” Adam growled. Faster than she could blink, he surged forward. He kicked her wrist, hard enough she lost her grip on her glider. Blake grit her teeth against the pain and surprise as Adam drew his sword.

“You don’t want to do this, Adam,” she said.

“Oh, but I really do.” He charged again, slicing toward her head.

Blake dropped to the ground to avoid the blow. She rolled out of the way as he struck again before popping to her feet behind him. He stood between her and her staff. Blake started shuffling toward it.

She nearly lost a leg when Adam attacked again. She sent a blast of air at his hand to knock aside the strike. Focused on his sword, she lost track of his other hand. He grabbed her by the front of her robes and lifted her in the air like she weighed nothing.

“Your friend thought she could stop me too,” he snarled, throwing her to the ground hard enough to rattle her. “But she was wrong.”

“Yang?” Blake gasped. She crawled backward away from Adam, who loomed above her menacingly. His mask looked truly monstrous from this angle. “What did you do to her?”

“She showed her true colors. And you’ve seen what we do to firebenders.” The last word was a grunt as he struck again. 

This time, he grazed her hip. Blake cried out as the blade narrowly missed cutting her, more for fear over Yang than any injury. What did he do to her? She was such a fool to believe him over her. And now she was hurt, or worse. It was all Blake’s fault. She should have listened to the girl who stood by her since she came out of that ice than a stranger. Adam raised his sword to attack again, and Blake was too paralyzed to do anything.

He was knocked off balance, however, by a blast of water hitting his back. Adam wiped his face with one hand as he turned to face Weiss, who stood in a fighting stance with her canteen uncorked. “Blake, get up! Are you hurt?”

“I-I’m ok,” Blake said, shaking her head. She scrambled to her feet, not caring about the dust that caked her robes.

“Get your staff and let’s beat this loser,” Weiss said, not taking her eyes off Adam.

“You’re even dumber if you look if you think you can face me,” Adam said, widening his stance.

“It’s two against one. I like my odds.” Without any further ado, she lashed out again.

While Weiss distracted him, Blake dove for her glider. Adam stood his ground against the two of them, twirling both defensively and offensively. For a nonbender, he was quite the opponent. The two girls found themselves having to defend as much as they attacked, even with numbers on their side. Blake fought with one eye on Adam and the other on the dam. This was taking too long! The more time they wasted, the more in danger Yang and the village were. 

Adam’s lip curled as he sensed her distraction. “Why couldn’t you just behave, Blake?” He growled. The words stung more than the wound on her hip and brought down her guard. The butt of his sword slammed into her cheek, and her vision went white with pain.

When it came back, she was on the ground again near the ridge. Everything seemed distant, like she wasn’t quite in her own body. Vaguely, she was aware of Adam and Weiss still battling. Her thoughts were too jumbled to come together.

A familiar birdcall echoed through the air. Adam backpedaled to get some distance as he listened for a moment. He smirked before lunging at Weiss. He snatched her ponytail near her head and Weiss cried out in pain. He was far too strong with an advantageous grip. Weiss couldn’t fight him as he slammed her head into the ground. She groaned and did not get up. Standing triumphantly above them, Adam pursed his lips and whistled a response to the birdcall.

“No,” Blake groaned. A bright flash of light came from the bottom of the dam and the roar of the explosion battered her eardrums a few seconds later. The dam collapsed in near slow motion, water rushing into the valley.

“You were too late,” Adam panted, gloating over them as they watched the water rush past. “I thought the Avatar would be harder to beat. But you’re really just a stupid girl, aren’t you?”

“You’ll pay for this,” Blake growled. Her voice sounded strange to her own ears, and she rose with a strength that was not her own. Only when she kept rising on a spout of wind did she realize the power coursing through her veins. 

A flick of her wrist was all it took to send Adam flying. He crashed into a tree, but Blake didn’t stop to see if he got up again. She was already moving atop her tornado, holding out her hands as she reached toward the distant water. Her tattoos glowed bright blue as she seized control of the rapids. The flow stopped entirely under her command. Ever so slowly, the water froze over into an enormous block of ice.

Blake lowered herself to the ground when it was clear the rapids would be no trouble for a while. She still felt power at her fingertips, itching to be unleashed. Ignoring Weiss, who was finally stirring, Blake strode over to Adam. He was struggling to stand, supporting himself against a tree. His mask had been knocked off, revealing one of his eyes a twisted mess of puckered red scars.

“You are a worthless piece of slime,” her voice was still echoing strangely. She flicked her wrist and immediately water from the stream shot up. It froze him to the tree, covering his entire body except for his head. He grunted, straining against the ice. “You will pay for claiming you were different from the people you hate so much.” 

The ice started to grow, creeping over his neck. Sharp points pressed underneath his jaw, slowly applying pressure as he whimpered. She’d never managed fine control like this before. She wanted to draw it out, make Adam suffer for all he’d done.

“Blake, stop!” Weiss cried. Her words only just pierced Blake’s fog. She turned her head only just enough to take in Weiss stumbling toward her, eyes slightly glazed. She barely felt Weiss’s hand on her shoulder. “Don’t kill him. We have bigger things to worry about than dragging this out. We need to find Yang.”

The instant Weiss said Yang’s name, the power fled from Blake immediately. She slumped without it to bolster her, and Adam let out a whimpering sigh of relief. He was still frozen to the tree, and Blake stepped up to him, summoning all her remaining strength.

“Where is she?” She said, quietly and dangerously.

“Find her yourself,” Adam snarled, his last scraps of defiance. Blake shook with rage, though she was barely strong enough to keep upright. She couldn’t believe he played her. She felt like a stupid child. This was almost as bad as when she found out she’d slept through the war. Her friends were hurt because she didn’t think critically and didn't listen to Yang’s gut feelings.

“We can start by checking the camp,” Weiss said, gently leading Blake away from the tree Adam was pinned to. “It’s not like there are many places she could be.”

“Right.” Blake was too numb to come up with any plan. Her head was full of Adam. He knew where Yang was. He could tell them if he wanted to.

Gambol’s familiar roar stopped them in their tracks as they started into the woods. The girls turned as the bison landed on the ridge where they just battled Adam. Ruby sat atop her head, waving to get their attention. Her face was grim.

“Come on, guys,” she urged them. “We need to get out of here.”

“We need to do a lot of things,” Weiss said as she began to climb into the saddle. “That ice isn’t going to hold forever. We need to warn the village. Plus, we don’t know where Yang – Yang!” She launched herself the rest of the way into the saddle when she spotted the firebender sprawled out across the saddle.

Blake froze the sight of her. She was far too pale, and her skin was clammy with sweat. Her right arm was a bloody mess. Blake could barely tell the hasty bandages from the blood. At first, she couldn’t tell if she was breathing. The shallow rise and fall of her chest did little to comfort her.

“Get on, Blake,” Weiss said. Blake scrambled into the saddle as Ruby flicked the reins.

“Weiss, can you help her?” Ruby asked. “I-I found her a few hours ago. They tortured her…” she trailed off, no longer able to control her voice. Blake’s entire body shook as she watched Weiss crawl over and take Yang’s head in her lap.

“I can try,” Weiss said. Her hands trembled as she worked the fabric away from Yang’s arm. Blake wanted to protest when she broke the scabs, causing fresh blood to well up, but she bent the last dregs of water from her canteen onto Yang’s arm moments later.

They sat in tense silence while Weiss worked, the rushing wind the only noise between them. Weiss’s brow furrowed in concentration as the water glowed around Yang’s wounds. Several moments later, Yang’s chest heaved as she took the first deep breath in who knew how long. The water dripped off her arm, which was covered in dozens of soft pink lines. The only remnants of the ordeal she went through.

“It’s not as bad as it looks,” she rasped without even opening her eyes. Weiss gasped with relief and pulled her into a hug.

“You were nearly dead, idiot,” Weiss said, holding her so hard she shook. Blake desperately wanted to join, but guilt kept her locked in place. “I’m sorry, I can’t do anything about the scars.”

“That’s ok.” Yang finally opened her eyes and Weiss loosened her grip. “I want a reminder not to let my guard down ever again.” She turned her shining eyes to Blake. “I’m sorry I couldn’t warn you. When I found out his plans, i-it was already too late.”

“Why are you apologizing?” Blake asked. She could barely speak around the lump in her throat, and she rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand to wipe away the tears. “I’m the one who should be begging for forgiveness.”

“It’s no big thing. Adam had us all fooled.”

“Not you,” Weiss pointed out. Yang glared at her.

“I’m trying to make her feel better.”

“Still,” Blake said. “This isn’t the first time me not trusting you has blown up in our faces. I’m so so sorry.”

“We’re still learning how to be a team, Blake,” Ruby said. “You weren’t the only one who was fooled by Adam. It’s ok to make mistakes. We always manage to fix them in the end.” Her words bolstered Blake somewhat, lifted her out of the despair she was falling into. Even after burning her, Ruby still believed in Blake wholeheartedly. She could use a little of Ruby’s faith now and again.

As they flew overhead, Blake could see the extent of what she did with her power. The entire reservoir was frozen, ice stopping only a short distance from the village. She shivered at the evidence before her. She was almost too late to fix her mistake.

“We need to go warn them,” she said, voice hollow. Despite the glacier looming over them, they should at least get that courtesy.

“Already done,” Ruby said. “That was you who froze the water, right? You saved my life. I was down in the village trying to convince them there was danger when the water came. That was enough to convince them.” She turned to smile at Blake. “I found Yang all beat up – again, I might add – and we rushed to warn them. They’re evacuating as we speak. You did good.”

“I didn’t know you could use the Avatar State without mastering all the elements,” Weiss said. Blake’s eyes widened.

“Is that what that is? How do you know about it?” She demanded.

“You mean you don’t? _You’re_ the Avatar!” Weiss cried. “It’s kind of your whole thing. Your eyes and tattoos glow, and you channel enormous power. I’ve only heard stories, but that’s standard Avatar knowledge.”

“Well, I don’t know what happened,” Blake said, curling in on herself. “It’s only happened a few times, and I don’t control it when it does.”

“It sounds like you need someone to teach you,” Ruby said. “No biggie. We’re already traveling all over the world to find you bending masters. What’s adding one more to that list?” Weiss and Yang nodded in agreement.

Their support brought tears to Blake’s eyes. She was too choked up to respond, but the fact that they still had faith in her after all the mistakes she made meant more than she could express.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that was a thing! Thanks for reading, all!


	17. Chapter 17

“That should do it,” Yang said as she finished rolling up their tent. Her tongue poked out as she put a thumb on a half-formed knot and fumbled with the rope that tied it closed. The fingers on her right hand were slow to respond.

Though she was completely healed, her mind still could not let go of the ordeal Adam and his freedom fighters put her through. One cut for every person they lost to the Fire Nation, they said. Yang fought to keep her hand from shaking just from thinking about it. The last thing she needed was for the others to worry about her more than they already were. It was her job to worry about them, not the other way around.

“Omashu, here we come,” Ruby said, punching upward with her excitement.

“Let me help you with that.” Blake fell to her knees beside Yang and took the ends of the rope out of Yang’s hand. 

“Blake, it’s alright,” Yang said. Blake ignored her, tying off the tent for her while Yang held the knot secure. She grabbed the tent before Yang could and leaped into Gambol’s saddle, blowing Yang’s hair back as she left the ground.

Yang frowned as she slipped her thumb out of the knot. While the help was appreciated, Blake had been acting weird ever since their encounter with Adam. She knew she felt incredibly guilty over everything that happened, but it was getting to the point where she wasn’t letting Yang do anything on her own. Yang worried her over-attention would result in her finding out how weak Yang really was.

“I can’t _wait_ to see Omashu,” Ruby said, practically vibrating with excitement as she climbed into the saddle. “You’ll take me on a ride through those delivery chutes, won’t you Blake? It’s literally all I can think about since you told me about it.”

“If you get us kicked out of another city…” Weiss didn’t finish her threat, letting it trail off as she shook her head in disappointment. 

“It’ll be ok! Blake’s friend won’t let us be banished. Right?”

“We were fifteen and it was a hundred years ago. I think that ship might have sailed,” Blake said with a grimace.

“No matter!” Ruby posed atop Gambol with one foot on the edge of the saddle and her chest puffed out. “I vow we will return the spirit of fun to Omashu and Blake! It is my new mission in life.”

“Did someone just say spirit of fun?” Yang leaped to her feet and peeked around Gambol at the unfamiliar voice. “Well! That sure is a big bison you’ve got there.” A girl a few years older than Yang sauntered up to them from down the road. She stopped a good distance away, looking them up and down with one hand on her hip. She wore her hair in an asymmetrical bob that was perfectly neat despite being in the middle of nowhere. Three others followed behind her, looking travel-stained and wary of them. 

Yang clenched her fists, readying herself in case this went south. Weiss was the only one on the ground with her. She noticed her eyeing the river they camped next to, her thoughts in the same place as Yang. At least if there was a fight, she would be well-armed. Yang hoped her own bending would be up to the challenge.

“She is,” Blake said. She stayed neutral but settled on Gambol’s head, ready to take off at a moment’s notice. 

“That’s alright. You’re not in our way,” the girl said. “I’m Coco. This is Fox, Velvet, and Yatsuhashi. Nice to meet you, fellow travelers.” Yang eyed each of them in turn. She wondered if any of them were benders. They were all dressed in wildly varying colors. It was difficult to attribute them to one nation, to pin down the bending style they were most likely to have.

“You too,” Blake said, not returning pleasantries. “We were just about to be on our way. The river will be all yours in a moment.”

“What’s the rush? We don’t mean any harm,” Coco said. “I couldn’t help but hear your conversation. We’re actually on our way to Omashu as well.”

“Omashu adjacent, at least,” Yatsuhashi said.

“Isn’t Omashu that way?” Ruby asked, pointing back the way they came. The travelers winced.

“Unfortunately, the Fire Nation decided to stick their nose where they don’t belong, again,” Fox said. His long red hair fell into his eyes and he didn’t look directly at them when he spoke. “They set up a blockade. We need to find another way around.” Yang realized with a jolt that he was blind. It was nearly as shocking as his news.

“We’ve dealt with the Fire Nation before,” Weiss said. “I’m sure this will be no big deal.”

“Really? We heard a story of a much safer way if you want to join us. A secret tunnel that goes through the mountain,” Velvet said. She stood slightly behind Coco, looking surprised at herself for speaking up.

“There’s safety in numbers, after all,” Coco said, backing her up. Yang and her friends exchanged a look.

“We’ll try our luck. Thanks for the warning though! We really appreciate it,” Ruby said, answering for the whole group.

“Alright. Be safe! We’re going to rest here for a little while if you decide to change your mind.” Coco shrugged her bag off her shoulder while Weiss and Yang climbed atop Gambol. As soon as they were settled, Blake flicked the reins and ordered them into the air.

“You don’t think we should have taken them up on that, do you?” Yang asked as they left their river campsite behind. She resisted the urge to rub her arm. She hadn’t realized how scared she was at the thought of a fight until she settled atop Gambol and her racing heart didn’t calm.

“After the last time we trusted total strangers?” Weiss asked, poking Yang in the arm right over her half-healed scars. “We’re going to be fine. I’d rather face fireballs head-on than a stab in the back again.” Ruby and Blake both murmured in agreement.

“If you think so.” Yang shrugged, watching the landscape race by below them.

“Look out!” Because Yang wasn’t paying much attention, Blake’s shout was the only warning she had before a giant explosion went off in the air to their left. Her gaze jerked up as Gambol swerved to one side, dodging another fireball, which the air was suddenly full of.

Yang screamed, hanging onto Ruby with one hand and the saddle with the other as Blake steered Gambol in a series of evasive maneuvers. The others were yelling, too, even Gambol. Ruby crushed Yang’s hand in her own. Yang could barely feel it over her fear. They found the blockade sooner than expected. Even worse, some of the fire being blasted at them was a signature blue. The sight was enough to chill Yang to the bone. Cinder had finally caught up with them.

“Turn around! Turn around, turn around, turn around!” Weiss repeated at the top of her lungs. Blake was screaming too hard to respond, though she nearly tossed them all out of the saddle as she yanked on Gambol’s reins to do just that.

They landed singed but alive after dodging fireballs for far too long. Weiss bent water from her canteen to put out the embers smoldering in Gambol’s fur while Blake lay over the bison’s head, whispering fervent apologies. Yang worked her hand out of Ruby’s, massaging her throat which was sore from yelling. The forest gave them a bit of cover to catch their breath, but it wouldn’t last for long.

Ruby was the first one to speak up over their labored breathing. “Maybe...we take them up on their offer.”

“Better than eating fireballs for breakfast,” Blake panted. Her eyes flicked over to Yang as if searching out a silent agreement. Yang tamped down a flare of annoyance. Blake was perfectly capable of making her own decisions. She wished that a single lapse of judgment hadn’t shaken her so much.

Coco and the others were still lounging by the river when they trudged back their way. She smirked at them in a way that said _I told you so_ when they came into sight. Blake stepped up to the front of their group.

“What’s this you say about a secret tunnel?”

“I knew you’d come around. Glad to see you escaped intact,” Coco said. “Yatsu is just finishing tending to his burns. We can be on our way in a few minutes.”

“If you’re injured, I can help,” Weiss said to the enormous boy in the river. She bent a globule of water onto her hand and motioned him toward the bank. Coco nodded and Yatsuhashi stepped forward. He bared his forearm, which was covered in raw burns. Weiss exhaled and the water began to glow.

“Neat trick,” Yatsuhashi said, holding up his arm for inspection once Weiss was done. He flexed his fingers and twisted his wrist. “It’s as good as new.”

“I knew they’d be good to team up with,” Coco said approvingly. “Let’s be off, then!”

They traveled parallel to the distant mountain range on foot. The terrain became rockier, and they started to lose the cover of the forest. Yang’s skin prickled uncomfortably as they did. She could still feel the heat from those fireballs. 

“So how did you guys hear about this anyway?” She asked to distract herself from her unease. They were starting to enter a canyon, with rocky walls that climbed high on either side. It made her feel a little bit safer, except when she realized it was only blocking them in from more sides.

“Oh, it’s a pretty common myth around here,” Velvet said. “It’s said that long ago, there were two lovers who lived on either side of the mountains. But their people were at war, and they were forbidden to be together. To get past that, they built a secret tunnel where they could meet outside of the pressure of war.” Yang listened intently, but she couldn’t help it when her attention slipped over to Blake. She wasn’t actively listening, but Yang could tell she was paying attention.

“Why don’t more people use the tunnels then, if they’re so useful?” Ruby said, startling Yang out of her reverie. Her cheeks heated up and she quickly stared at the ground to hide her flush.

“Probably because of the curse,” Velvet said. “Hey, look up ahead! I think we’re here!” She pointed, and indeed there was a gaping hole in the mountain at the end of the canyon.

“I’m sorry, what curse?” Weiss asked. 

“Well, the tunnels are haunted, you see,” Velvet said. “The lovers didn’t want anyone coming after them, so they built a lot of tunnels in order to fool anyone who tried to follow.”

“You follow, you die,” Yatsuhashi said, giving them a thumbs up and a smile.

“Unless you trust in love,” Velvet added.

“How is that any safer than the Fire Nation?” Blake asked.

“No fireballs?” Fox said. “It’s just a legend. I wouldn’t get too worked up about it.”

“A cave that is dark, and convoluted, and cursed!” Ruby cried.

“I don’t know about cursed, but my whole life has been dark and convoluted,” Fox said, waving a hand in front of his unseeing eyes.

“And the rest of you? Are you ok with this?” Weiss asked. 

“Yeah, no big deal.”

“It’ll be fine.”

“If you’re having second thoughts, you better make your decision quickly,” Coco said grimly. “Look over there.” Yang followed where she was pointing and gulped when she saw a thick trail of rising smoke.

Velvet gave a low whistle. “The Fire Nation must really want you guys.”

“This is a pretty easy decision. Everyone, into the hole!” Ruby said. Yang picked up the pace, not minding her sister speaking for all of them again.

She paused, though, when Gambol growled from behind her. She turned to find Blake tugging insistently on the reins, Gambol fighting her the whole way.

“Come on, girl. Don’t tell me you’d rather fight your way through,” Blake said.

“Does she not like being underground?” Yang asked, falling back to help urge her along. Blake sighed, giving up her tug of war contest. It was unwinnable anyway. She walked up to pet Gambol’s cheek.

“Not really. Will you help me try to coax her in?” She didn’t meet Yang’s gaze as she made the request.

“Sure.” Anything to prove that she was still capable and wasn’t at all mad at Blake.

The light was only just fading when a mechanical whirr echoed through the canyon. Cinder must have found some powerful allies since their last encounter. This was far more firepower than she had at the Northern Air Temple. It was a struggle to keep pace with Blake and Gambol at the back when Yang could hear Cinder’s forces so close.

She was nearly knocked off her feet when the ground shook. Moments later, the sound of an explosion rocketed down the tunnel. Yang whipped around to see what all the racket was about. Her eyes went wide as grinding, crashing rocks collapsed at the entrance of the tunnel, sealing off the light. Gambol roared in distress, galloping toward the pile of rocks that was now the entrance of the tunnel. She pawed at the blockage, groaning and roaring her disapproval.

“Guess that’s the decision made for us,” Coco’s voice rang out through the dark. “Velvet, get the torches.”

“It’s alright,” Yang said. She barely hesitated to offer her services, hearing the distressed noises her friends were trying to suppress. She held out her left hand palm up and a lick of fire sprang to life, illuminating everyone’s terrified faces. She suppressed a sigh of relief. Despite her emotional turmoil, at least her bending was responsive.

“Never thought I’d be glad to see a firebender,” Yatsuhashi said without skipping a beat. “You guys really have all your bases covered.”

“We should still use the torches,” Blake said with a frown. Yang glared at her, but she continued anyway. “Yang doesn’t need the strain.”

“It’s not that difficult,” Yang said through gritted teeth. Coco shrugged and took Blake’s advice anyway. Yang’s fire blazed as her fury grew.

Blake pretended not to notice. She stepped deeper into the tunnel. “Should we get going? I don’t like the look of that ceiling.”

They started down the tunnel with Coco in the lead to light their path. Yang stubbornly kept her own flame going. She let the spark in her hand grow to a good-sized flame to shed more light. It was a relief to use her bending for more reasons than one. These were the first people outside of Patch to be happy to see she was a firebender. There were still parts of the world that weren’t traumatized by the war. Even if those parts were only four nomads who seemed to be on the wrong side of sane.

It wasn’t long before the path split into two tunnels. Each was plenty wide with a tall ceiling, but the shadows cast by the stalactites still made Yang shiver. For the first time, she realized they were trapped under miles of rock with no sure way out. The thought made her chest feel tight.

“Which way should we go?” Ruby asked.

Yang stepped forward. She could do something to help them no one else could. “Want me to light up each path so we can see down them a little?” It was her turn to ignore Blake glaring at her.

“That doesn’t sound like a bad idea,” Coco said. “Have at it.”

Yang stepped up to the path on the right with Blake on her heels. The two of them were the best to put at the front of the line in case anything dangerous came out of the tunnel, though Yang was pretty sure Blake was only there to supervise her. She took a deep breath before transferring the flame to her right hand. It flickered as she shook but stayed alight. Yang sighed with relief. She wouldn’t be bending fireballs out of her right hand just yet because of her mental block, but at least she could still bend at all. The relief fueled her as she punched out with her left hand to send a fireball down the tunnel as far as she could manage. 

The tunnel was straight and sloped downwards, shadows and light battling each other as the fire petered out a good distance from where they were standing. Yang glanced at everyone’s reactions before moving toward the tunnel on the left. There were a few nods of approval as Yang readied herself to repeat the process.

“Wait!” Fox cried as Yang settled into a stance. “I hear something.” They all waited a moment before Velvet spoke up.

“I hear it too!” The echoes of her words never faded. They were replaced instead with a high-pitched squeaking and the patter of tiny footsteps. The others drew back as Yang flared the fire in her hand so they would at least know what they were up against.

Her bravado didn’t last long when she saw the undulating river of darkness rushing toward them. She nearly fell against Blake, their yells joining the din as they backpedaled toward the others. Even as the mass got closer, it was nearly impossible to tell what it was until the front of it _leaped into the air_. 

“Wolfbats!” Ruby screamed, throwing her arms over her head to protect herself. The creatures swooped through the air as Yang did the same. Her heart slammed in her chest and it took all of her concentration not to plunge them into total darkness. That would only make the panic worse. She fell to the ground to get out of the way of the swooping animals.

One of the wolfbats collided with Coco, it’s head driving into her ribs. It knocked her to the ground, outstretched arm slamming against the rock. She cried out, and the torch in her hand skittered across the ground. Though Yang was preoccupied with keeping her eyes, Gambol’s roar of pain gave her a pretty good idea of where it landed.

As quickly as they attacked, the wolfbats fled from Gambols roaring and bucking rampage. Afraid of the tunnels and the wolfbats, the fire was the icing on a cake of disaster for the spooking bison. Blake stumbled to her feet, trying to calm her down, but it was too late. Gambol slammed into the wall separating the two tunnels blindly before staggering back into a different wall. The entire tunnel shook, and Yang’s stomach dropped as she heard the all too familiar sound of another rockslide.

She scrambled upright as the first rocks began to fall, looking with terror between the others. Ruby had her arms up, trying desperately to stop the rockslide in its tracks. There was just too much earth. Her stance was slipping as she groaned with effort. She couldn’t hold it all.

“Get back!” Blake shouted. She grabbed her staff by one end and bent a gust of air that slammed into the nomads, Weiss, and Ruby. They were blown further down the tunnel out the path of the rocks. Blake barely had time to bend another air blast to get her and Yang out of the way when the rocks crashed to the ground.

Yang coughed as the dust settled, lying flat on her back. She rolled onto her side, groaning as she pushed herself upright. The tunnel was dark, and she quickly bent a flame into her hand to give them some light.

“Our increasing proximity to rockslides is starting to have me worried,” she joked. It fell flat when she looked for her audience. The only living beings she could see were Blake and Gambol. Her eyes widened as she had the same realization as Yang. They both scrambled toward the pile of rocks.

“Ruby! Weiss!” Blake yelled as loud as she could. “Is anyone there?”

“Blake! You’re ok!” Weiss’s voice was faint, but it definitely came from the other side.

“Is Yang there?” Ruby called. Yang nearly cried when she heard both of them.

“We’re fine,” Yang said, her throat strangely tight. “You guys?”

“Everyone’s ok over here thanks to Blake,” Weiss said. Blake ducked her head at the recognition.

“Well, this isn’t great,” Coco said. “How many torches do we have? We lost our human lantern.”

“Is there any way around on your side?” Yatsuhashi said. “We’re blocked in over here.” Yang stepped away from the rockslide to examine their surroundings. The path in on the left and behind them seemed alright for the most part, but the right side was totally collapsed. Gambol pawed hopelessly at the rock pile, groaning despondently.

Blake stepped up to the rocks, casting a critical eye over them. “Doesn’t look like it.”

“I’m sorry guys. There’s no way I can get through all this,” Ruby said, voice watery. “I couldn’t even stop it from coming down in the first place.”

“It’s ok, Ruby. This isn’t your fault!” Coco said. “The torch was what spooked Gambol. Is she ok?”

“Yeah, just shaken up,” Blake said after a quick examination.

“Well, we have a way forward. Do you?” Weiss asked. “It looks like we’re going to have to split up.” Yang’s stomach sank at the thought. Her sister was on the other side of the rockslide. Alone in a dark, structurally unsound tunnel. This day just kept getting worse and worse.

“We _will_ see you on the other side,” Blake swore. The vehemence in her words was enough to shake Yang out of her downward spiral. “If you get there first, wait for a few days before moving on to Omashu. We’ll meet up eventually.”

“Alright. Yang?” Ruby called. Yang stepped up to the rocks, cautious of disturbing them even more.

“I’m here.”

“Be careful. You have to get Blake to the other side. No matter what.” Yang’s throat tightened again.

“As long as you promise you’ll be there to meet us,” she said.

“Of course I will be! Do you think there is any reality where Weiss will let her story end with dying in a hole?” Ruby’s joke made Yang’s stomach sink. Reminding her of the consequences should they fail did not inspire confidence.

There was little point in lingering at the rockslide. Yang fell into step with Blake and Gambol. She could almost trick herself into thinking she could feel Ruby’s presence get further and further away. Shaking her head, she held out her hand to light their way as they descended further into the earth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your patience with the once a week updates! We're starting to get to the romance stuff, so hold onto your socks! This is going to be a very fun arc


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WELP posting a day late but HERE IS THE CHAPTER. PLEASE ENJOY THE AWKWARDNESS

Long after Yang started to lose track of how long they’d been in the tunnels, the darkness pressing in on them from all sides made their small sphere of light feel like the only place in the world. Blake was all but silent as they navigated switchbacks and split paths that forced them to turn back. The fire in Yang’s hand grew with her frustration as they hit yet another dead end.

“I wonder how Ruby and Weiss are doing right now?” She asked if only to break the maddening silence.

“Better than us, hopefully,” Blake said. She spun on her heel and started back the way they came once again. 

Yang sighed and hung her head. Every attempt she made at conversation fell just as flat. Watching Blake walk away, it was easy to see the tense line of her shoulders, the agitation in her every step. It was getting to the point she started exchanging worried looks with Gambol. Being in these tunnels was in no way relaxing, but Blake’s strange mood started well before the cave in. 

Gambol snorted to pull Yang out of her thoughts. The flames guttered in her exhale. Yang shielded it with her other hand and took a few jogging steps to keep up with Blake. She knew exactly what was bothering Blake. They clearly needed to talk about what happened with the freedom fighters, though this was the last place Yang wanted to have that conversation. The unspoken words between them were starting to affect their ability to work together, and more importantly their friendship.

“So, I’m really wishing my dad was here right now,” Yang said. One of her conversation starters had to catch on eventually.

“An earthbending master would be useful,” Blake admitted, measuring her words carefully. She refused to meet Yang’s eye, but at least she was engaging.

“Not only that, but he’d love the adventures we’ve had. Sticking it to the Fire Nation would remind him of the old days. And he could have probably taught you more earthbending than Ruby has.”

Blake's hands curled into fists at her sides. “I get it, Yang. You don’t have to guilt me at every turn.” Yang blinked, completely shocked at the hurt in her voice. She sounded like she was about to cry.

“What? No, I wasn’t trying to do that at all!” She said quickly. “Nothing that’s happened has been your fault. You have nothing to feel guilty over.”

“Nothing? Have you been paying attention, Yang? All I’ve been doing is hurting people left and right. The refugees at the Northern Air Temple lost their haven. Weiss was banished from her home. You…” she trailed off, eyes flicking to Yang’s arm. “You could have lost so much more than you already have.”

Yang resisted the urge to clutch her arm as she’d been doing since Weiss healed her as a way to reassure herself it was whole. “None of that is your fault. You didn’t attack the temple. You didn’t banish Weiss.” She paused, evaluating whether or not pushing further would be too much. “You didn’t hold that sword or blow the damn.” Yang held her breath as they walked, watching for even the slightest hint she said too much. The silence stretched on and she started to worry she had.

“Even if those were all other people’s actions, I was still the epicenter,” Blake said. Her posture relaxed into a defeated slump. “And you have to admit that burning Ruby was entirely my fault.”

“It was mine too,” Yang said. Blake’s head jolted up. “If you’re going to blame yourself for others reacting to what you did, so can I. You never would have gotten any fire to begin with if it wasn’t for me.” 

Blake’s eyes shone with agony as she looked at Yang directly for the first time since they were separated from the others.

“Then you should understand how horrible it is watching the people you care about get hurt on your behalf.”

“It’s certainly not fun,” Yang said, holding her gaze. Blake deserved so much more than the burden she was settled with. Yang wished more than anything she could wipe away the pain in her eyes. Hesitantly, she took her hand, slotting their fingers together. “But where would we be without anyone to care about? Without anyone to care for us?”

Tears gathered at the corners of Blake’s eyes, and she used her free hand to wipe them away. She squeezed Yang’s hand tightly, for once not drawing away.

“Probably lost and alone in a dark hole,” she said. The corners of her mouth ticked up ever so slightly.

“That’s worse than lost and together in a dark hole,” Yang said. Blake’s smile grew ever so slightly, and Yang swung their hands between them. “It’s going to be ok. We’re all on your side, one hundred percent. I’m on your side.”

“Then we better get out of here so we can actually complete our mission,” Blake said. Yang’s spirits dipped somewhat, and she turned her attention to look where they were going. Only after getting everything off her chest did Yang realize her words were directly from her heart. Their path hadn’t been easy, but the hardships they faced together made her truly care for Blake. That Blake thought this was all about their mission was disheartening. 

“What’s that over there?” Yang asked, dropping Blake’s hand in order to point up ahead as they rounded a bend.

“It looks like the way out!” Blake said. She dashed forward toward an enormous circular door. It was made of ancient, carved stone and fit so well with the surrounding rock it had to have been created with earthbending. Only the precise edges and carvings made it stand out from the rough tunnels around it.

Yang followed in Blake’s footsteps. She pressed her free hand against the door, feeling the rough texture of worn rock. It must have been incredibly old to have been so eroded.

“Maybe if we push?” Blake suggested. She found a grip on the stone, waiting for Yang to do the same before straining against it. Yang put one shoulder against it, keeping a hand free to keep their light.

Gambol’s grunt caught her attention. She glanced over her shoulder to see the sky bison pawing at the ground and lowering her head. Her brow furrowed as she tried to figure out what she was doing. The realization hit her like a ton of rocks. She exchanged a wide-eyed look with Blake before they both dove out of the way of the door. Gambol charged it, and they barely got out of the way in time.

The bison’s head struck the door with an echoing boom. For a moment, Yang thought the door hadn’t budged until the stone scraped against its frame and fell inward. It dropped a few inches with a thud before rolling to one side. Eagerly, Yang squeezed through the gap, holding out her hand to illuminate the chamber on the other side.

Her spirits sunk as she saw no sign of an exit. The door opened up into a larger cavern with more precise lines and shapes. The floor was smooth and flat, with a short set of stairs leading down to a lower level. Below them was a carved dais with a single large block of stone resting atop it.

“This isn’t the exit,” Yang said, taking in the murals and blessings carved into the walls. It took her a moment to figure out what the block of stone was doing in what looked like a sacred site. “This is a tomb.” The flame in her hand dimmed as her own words caused dread to wash over her. Blake stepped through the portal and shivered. 

“We definitely shouldn’t be here,” she said hoarsely. “I have a terrible feeling about this place.” A rumble of agreement from Gambol echoed through the cavernous space.

“Agreed,” Yang said. “But I think the only way out is through.” She pointed to the far side of the room, where two more tunnels spread in opposite directions from each other.

She stepped deeper into the tomb, feeling like she was disturbing something that was laid to rest for a long time. Every step sent up clouds of dust, and the echo was far louder than it should have been. The acoustics of this chamber were fantastic, even if they only added to the creepiness of it.

Yang descended the stairs, feeling each step carefully before putting her full weight on it. A place like this was bound to be trapped. She made it to the bottom in one piece. Blake trailed behind her, even more reluctant to disturb this place than Yang. She looked around fearfully, flinching at every shadow cast by Yang’s fire. Gambol stuck close to her while Yang scouted the continuation of the tunnel.

Her search led her to the inscriptions on the wall. Though they were clearly not what she was looking for, she couldn’t help but be drawn to them. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Blake approach the dais and kneel before it to pay respects. She rose to her feet and stepped up to the coffin as Yang read the carvings.

As Yang took in more details of the tomb, it became more obvious who it was for. The stone on the dais was a coffin whose lid was carved with an effigy of a man in armor with his hands folded over a sword. Blake needed to know where they were. Yang took a deep breath and began to read.

“This is the tomb of a great warrior. He lived in a time of turmoil when the Great Spirits still wandered the world. Many of his fellows succumbed to darkness, but he was able to rise above. Though he was a warrior, it was his kindness that lifted a princess from the depths of hate, and she vowed to help him restore others. Together, they created tunnels only they could navigate that spanned their entire kingdom so they could easily reunite when separated by duty. 

“The Spirits saw their dedication and approached the warrior for his help. They offered him the powers of bending in order to help him continue his selfless work. The warrior did use the powers granted to him for good, but his wife never entirely shed the seed of darkness in her heart. She saw her husband’s strength, but also his curse. He could only use his powers selflessly, forcing him to sacrifice his own personal happiness.

“The disagreement eventually became a great rift that would be the warrior’s downfall. The princess’s jealousy drove her to try and take his power for herself when he died. However, the Great Spirits intervened to bestow them upon a different worthy mortal. The woman was cursed for her failings, that she may never find her love again though his spirit lived on in another.”

Yang stopped abruptly when she came to the end of the story, reading the final words over and over again to make sure her eyes weren’t playing tricks on her.

“The warrior’s name was Ozma. The princess’s...was Salem,” she choked out. Blake froze where she stood over Ozma’s effigy.

“You don’t think…” she couldn’t finish the thought.

“It’s crazy,” Yang said. Her mouth was strangely dry, and not just from reciting the story out loud.

“I’m sure it’s just a coincidence,” Blake said. “He’s not a bender. He’s holding a sword.” Yang approached the dais, bringing her light over. While Blake’s eyes were glued to Ozma’s face, Yang examined the bottom of the coffin. Along the sides were beautiful carvings of an ambiguous figure moving through various bending stances. There was a pattern repeated; Fire, air, water, earth.

“This can’t be the tomb of the first Avatar,” Yang said.

“Salem can’t possibly be that old,” Blake added. “How did she become Fire Lord, if she is?”

They looked at each other across the coffin. Yang’s breath came in shaky gasps as she processed all that they learned. The flames in her hand were dim enough to give away how badly she was shaken. Yang floundered as she searched for an anchor, so they weren’t plunged into darkness. She found one in Blake’s shadowed face even though she saw her own panic reflected on it. Without her, Yang would have long since spiraled. She was barely hanging on as it was.

It was because she was watching so intently that she noticed the shift in her gaze. Blake looked to the wall at the back of the dais.

“There’s something else on the wall,” she said. “Can you...?” The fire blazed as Yang overcompensated for nearly letting it go out. The largest mural of the entire room leaped out of the dark. It depicted two kneeling figures locked together in a tender kiss, immortalized forever in the stone. One of them was clearly Ozma. From the story on the wall, Yang assumed the other was Salem. “Though all around you may seem harsh, love can pull you from the dark.”

“Guess he was hopeful even to the end,” Yang said.

“It makes sense. These tunnels must have been the only place they could be together without the pressures of their responsibilities,” Blake said. She sighed, turning away from the mural. Yang saw the despondency in her gaze as she looked to one of the tunnels that lead out of the tomb. “How are we ever going to find our way out of here?”

The question hit harder than Yang was expecting. She looked up at the mural, hoping to find guidance from the long-dead Avatar. This whole experience was the craziest thing she’d ever been through, including watching Weiss control people by their blood. There was a puzzle right in front of them she couldn’t see the outline of. Yang thought back to what Velvet told them before they even entered the cave. All who entered were cursed...except for those who trusted in love.

“I have a crazy idea,” Yang said, the pieces finally falling into place. 

“What is it?” Blake asked. Yang’s cheeks flamed even without giving voice to her thoughts.

“Uh, wait never mind. It’s too out there,” she said. “We should just pick a direction and go from there. It’s been working so far.”

“It hasn’t really. We could use a new strategy,” Blake said. Yang lowered her hand, hoping to hide her blush in the shadows. Blake was right, of course. There was just no telling how she would react to Yang’s idea.

“Keep in mind, it’s really crazy. Like, probably the craziest thing I’ve ever come up with,” she said. “But Velvet was saying the curse trapped people who didn’t trust in love.”

“Right,” Blake said skeptically.

Yang gestured to the mural. “And here it says, ‘love will pull you from the dark’ and has a picture of them kissing.” She was desperately hoping Blake was picking up on what she was getting at so she wouldn’t have to say it out loud.

“I’m not seeing the crazy part yet.” Yang winced. She exhaled, steeling herself to explain the rest of her plan.

“Well...what if we kissed?” Blake spun on her heel and stared at Yang with her jaw on the floor.

“Us? Kissing?”

“I warned you it was crazy!” Yang said, trying to backpedal after seeing Blake’s reaction.

“I think these tunnels have been getting to you,” Blake said, laughing awkwardly. She folded her hands behind her back and fell silent. Yang’s face felt like it was melting off. “It would be...something different to try at least.”

“I mean, all we’ve done so far is get more and more lost,” Yang said. “It doesn’t bother me if it doesn’t bother you.” Her words were too stilted to be natural.

“I’m not bothered by it. Why, are you?” Blake’s cheeks were bright red, matching how Yang was sure she looked.

“No, not at all! Of all the people to kiss in a life or death situation you’re at the top of my list.” Yang winced, hearing her words as they spilled from her mouth.

“So, does that mean we’re going to try it or not?” Yang gulped as Blake stepped closer. They were basically face to face.

“What’s the harm in...trying?” She could barely get the last word out of her mouth. She couldn’t decide if the way Blake was looking up at her was making this better or worse. The light and shadows danced inconsistently across her face as Yang struggled to keep the flame steady.

She nearly lost it when Blake reached out and her fingers brushed Yang’s wrist. She was shaking far too much for them to be safe around open flames, so she held them as far away as she could reach. They stared at each other for far too long for this to be a simple kiss. Blake searched Yang’s expression for any sign of hesitation in the same way Yang searched hers. It scared her how fine she was with this as she slowly leaned in.

Her eyes closed at the last minute before their lips brushed. Yang tried to keep it light, but all thoughts left her head as Blake tilted her head and kissed her properly. If Blake moved her fingers ever so slightly, she’d be able to feel Yang’s pulse hammering out a wild rhythm. The flames in her hand went out as it fell to her side. All Yang could concentrate on was Blake’s warmth.

She broke the kiss with a ragged inhale, cutting it short before it could get weird. Yang was far too worked up for as brief as it was. She opened her eyes, hoping to change her state of mind. Blake’s face was awash with soft green light, her eyes still closed and lips parted ever so slightly. Yang was so giddy it took her several long moments to realize what was wrong with the picture.

There was no fire in her hand. They could still see.

She looked up as Blake opened her eyes, avoiding meeting her stare as she gaped up at the ceiling. Above them were hundreds of small pinpricks of light. Each glowed faintly, but altogether their light was enough to cast a pleasant glow over the tunnels. It reminded Yang of the night sky.

“It’s made of some kind of crystals,” Blake gasped, pulling Yang from her romantic daydreaming. “They must only light up in the dark.”

“Pretty effective way of finding each other. Ozma and Salem just put out their lights and followed the crystals,” Yang said, following the trail. The crystals were only on the ceiling of the tunnel on the left. “I bet that’s the way out!”

“Your crazy idea worked,” Blake said. Yang finally lowered her gaze from the ceiling to take in Blake’s soft smile. She felt something squeeze her hand and glanced down to find Blake’s fingers interlaced with her’s. She hadn’t even realized they were holding hands.

“It did,” Yang said. Her insides felt all jumbled up, and it was hard to string together a coherent thought. “So, um–”

“Let’s go,” Blake said, letting go of Yang’s hand to start down the tunnel. Yang had barely gotten used to the feeling, but now it was gone she only felt its absence. 

She let out a shaky breath, watching Blake lead the way. Only when Gambol brushed past her did she finally start to follow.

With the crystals lighting the way, they didn’t have to fuss over each and every turn they made. Yang shoved her hands in her pockets as they returned to silence. It was different than before they found the tomb, still heavy but not in a bad way. She had to resist the urge to reach up and brush her lips. They were still tingling from their kiss. With all her feelings battling inside her, she was impressed how long she lasted before letting her words spill over.

“So that was kind of weird, right?” She blurted out. There was an ever so slight stumble in Blake’s stride was the only give away that she was as rattled as Yang.

“We don’t have to talk about it if you hated it that much,” she said tersely.

“No, that’s not what I meant at all!” Yang said, falling over herself to backtrack. “I mean, you’re great! It’s fine. If you don’t want to talk about it that can be the end of this!” Blake gave her a flat look.

“Ok then. We’ll end it.” Yang’s palm met her forehead as Blake turned away again. For a moment there, she thought they had smoothed over the weirdness between them. Now it was back and even worse. Not for the first time, Yang thought this tunnel was too small.

When they rounded a corner a short time later only to be met with daylight at the end of the tunnel, Yang’s relief overpowered all her other feelings. Gambol nearly bowled them over as she bounded for free air. She groaned with satisfaction as she rolled around in the dirt, closing her eyes and lifting her face to the last rays of the sun. Yang could relate to the feeling. They’d been in the tunnels almost all day long.

The relief was short-lived as Yang took in their surroundings. They were the only living things in sight.

“What about Weiss and Ruby?” She asked, spirits falling faster than they had risen. Her sister was smart, but she didn’t have the clues Yang and Blake found. 

Yang’s breath started to come in shallow gasps. The very ground beneath her feet shook as she thought about her sister being lost in the tunnels forever. It wasn’t until the mountainside exploded before them did she realized the tremors were real.

Her eyes widened as two enormous beasts crawled their way out of the new openings in the mountain. They were at least as big as Gambol. As the dust settled, she recognized them as badgermoles. Though that wasn’t what was the most amazing sight. From atop one of the badgermoles, Ruby was waving down at them. Weiss sat behind her with her face buried in Ruby’s shoulder. Yang gaped as they slid off their badgermole while Coco and the others climbed off the other one.

“How did you guys manage to beat us?” Weiss demanded while Ruby hung back to hold out her hands to the blind animals. “I thought for sure we’d have the upper hand.”

“So, this is a contest now, is it?” Blake asked, raising one eyebrow with amusement

“I guess the power of love is superior to the power of huge, ferocious beasts,” Yang said. She fought down a blush as Weiss gave her a critical once over.

“Whatever, weirdo,” she said. “Ruby, say goodbye to the badgermoles!”

“Are you forgetting who got them on our side in the first place? I want another moment with our new friends,” Ruby called over her shoulder. She stomped on the ground, making it tremble slightly. In response, the badgermoles rose up onto the hind legs before slamming down with their forepaws, causing a big enough earthquake Yang nearly lost her balance. Ruby laughed as the badgermoles turned back through the tunnels they carved.

“Looks like you guys had an adventure,” Blake said as the tunnels closed up. “You’ll have to tell us all about it once we reach Omashu.”

“Yours as well,” Weiss said.

"What about you guys?” Ruby asked Coco. “Are you going to make the rest of the trip with us?”

“Nah,” Coco said. “We’ve had enough excitement with you guys.”

“Alright. Safe travels, and thanks for everything!” They said their goodbyes, seeing Coco and her friends on their way before coalescing into their core group.

“There’ve been a few bumps in the road, but we’re almost there,” Ruby said. Yang threw her arm around Ruby’s shoulders. Only in relief was she realizing the toll their ordeal took. She was glad it was over, and gladder still when Ruby spoke her next words. “Next stop, Omashu.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading yall. I'm going to be honest, this is the last chapter I had already written and I've been super blocked on this story. The next update might take a little bit. We're just over the halfway point, so I may or may not take a short break from posting in order to write a bigger buffer as we enter the second half. I want to make this story the best it can be for you all, and rushing updates won't give you that. Your love and support for this story are overwhelming, so thank you very much. Hope you all have a wonderful day/night

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading! Hope you all have a lovely day/night!


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